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THE   ROMANCE 


OF 


PRINCE    EUGENE 


BY 
ALBERT    PULITZER 

'/ 


3TransIatrtJ  from  tfjc  jFrmdj 
By  MRS.   B.   M.   SHERMAN 


NEW    YORK 
DODD,    MEAD    AND    COMPANY 

1895 


jrfft 


BISHOP  GARCIA  DIEGO 

HIGH  SCHOOL  LlbRARY 

SANTA  BARBARA,  CALIFORNIA 


* 


Copyright,  1895, 
By  Dodd,  Mead  and  Company. 

All  rights  reserved. 


Sanitoratts  Press: 
John  Wilson  and  Son,  Cambridge,  U.  S.  A. 


4 


PREFACE. 


POETS  and  novelists  have  dwelt  fondly  upon  the 
ecstasies  of  love,  when  sheltered  under  the  eaves 
of  a  cottage.  If  the  shepherd's  idyll  merits  the  telling, 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  one  which  flourishes  under  the 
shadow  of  a  throne  is  not  the  less  worthy.  And  does 
not  the  proverb  say,  "  All  the  world  loves  a  lover, 
whether  he  be  prince  or  pauper  "  ? 

By  chance,  glancing  over  the  Memoirs  and  Corre- 
spondence of  Prince  Eugene,  published,  about  forty  years 
ago,  by  A.  du  Casse,  in  ten  octavo  volumes,  I  read  with 
real  pleasure  the  letters  addressed  by  the  Prince  to  his 
wife,  born  Princess-Royal  of  Bavaria,  and  considered  one 
of  the  handsomest  women  of  her  time.  These  letters, 
written  during  the  stirring  transformations  of  the  Napo- 
leonic epopee,  reveal,  in  the  exquisite  tenderness  which 
they  breathe,  one  of  the  most  charming  love-stories 
which  history  has  given  us.  On  the  eighth  anniversary 
of  his  marriage,  the  Prince  thanks  Heaven  for  hav- 
ing given  him  "  the  most  beautiful,  the  best,  and  the 
most  virtuous  of  wives."  This  graceful  and  romantic 
side  of  the  Prince's  character  seemed  to  me  worthy  of 
being  shown  to  the  world.     But  his  letters  to  his  wife 


5434 


vj  PREFACE. 

are  intermingled  with  war  news  and  interminable  tech- 
nical reports,  which  throw  no  light  on  the  heart  suffer- 
ings of  this  charming  Princess,  menaced  with  the  loss 
of  her  heroic  husband  on  the  plains  of  Germany,  in 
the  gorges  of  the  Tyrol,  or  the  snows  of  Russia.  I 
thought,  in  disentangling  them  from  this  chaos  which 
is  interesting,  no  doubt,  to  the  historian,  but  fatiguing 
for  one  who  is  attracted  to  the  lovable,  poetical  side  of 
things  in  this  life,  that  I  should  be  performing  an  agree- 
able task  for  many  people. 

If,  in  presenting  this  charming  idyll  to  my  readers,  I 
can  touch  some  sensitive  hearts  and  inspire  them  with 
a  little  of  the  sincere  admiration  which  I  myself  felt  for 
this  ideal  love-story,  I  shall  be  fully  recompensed  for 
my  labour. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS   TO   VOLUME   I. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Page 
Prince  Eugene's  Childhood.  —  His  Military  Tastes.  —  De- 
velopment  of  his   Character.  —  His   Precocity  justifies 
his  Military  Career.  —  His  Marriage.  —  The  Princess  of 
Bavaria  and  Napoleon i 


CHAPTER   II. 

Mutual  Affection  of  Husband  and  Wife.  —  Their  Popularity 
in  Italy.  —  Eugene  as  a  Patron  of  Arts  and  Sciences.  — 
Napoleon  advises  him  to  amuse  himself  more.  —  Admi- 
rable Results  of  his  Administration.  —  Satisfaction  of  the 
Emperor.  —  He  names  Eugene  Heir  Presumptive  to  the 
Crown  of  Italy 39 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Campaign  of  1809.  —  Mobilisation  of  the  Army  of  Italy 
under  the  Command  of  Eugene.  —  His  Private  Corre 
spondence  with  the  Princess.  —  Italy  Invaded.  —  A  De- 
feat. —  Bulletins  of  Victory.  —  Pursuing  the  Enemy.  — 
March  upon  Bruck.  —  Campaign  in  Hungary.  —  Eugene 
wins  the  Great  Victory  of  Raab.  —  Triumphal  Return  to 
Italy 53 


viii  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Page 

Divorce.  —  Josephine's  Resistance  —  Eugene's  Intervention. 
—  His  Admirable  Disinterestedness.  —  The  Empress  at 
Malmaison.  —  Relations  between  Josephine  and  Napoleon 
after  the  Divorce.  —  Eugene  and  Hortense's  Filial  Devo- 
tion. —  The  Prince's  Return  to  Milan.  —  Grave  Conse- 
quences of  the  Divorce  for  Eugene 108 


CHAPTER   V. 

Prince  Eugene  refuses  the  Throne  of  Sweden.  —  Family  Life. 

—  Birth  of  the  King  of  Rome.  —  Eugene  is  summoned  by 
Napoleon.  —  Rupture  with  the  Czar.  —  The  Crown  of  Po- 
land. —  Eugene  resolves  to  refuse  it,  if  it  is  offered  to  him. 

—  Prospects  of  Peace.  —  War  is  Declared 147 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Campaign  in  Russia.  —  The  Passage  of  the  Niemen.  —  Suf- 
ferings of  the  Army  from  the  Commencement  of  the 
Campaign.  —  Russian  Tactics.  —  The  Uneasiness  of  Ab- 
sence.—  Napoleon  as  the  Father  of  a  Family.  —  The 
Battle  of  Moscow.  —  Prince  Eugene's  Glorious  Rdle  in 
this  battle.  —  Entry  into  Moscow.  —  Incendiarism.  — 
Uncertainty  as  to  the  Future.  —  Overtures  .towards  Peace. 
—  The  Order  to  Retreat 180 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Retreat   from   Russia.  —  Misery  and  Sanguinary  Combats. 

—  Smolensk.  —  The    Beresina.  —  The    Emperor  leaves 
the  Army.  —  The  Twenty-ninth  Bulletin.  —  Last  Proofs. 

—  Desertions.  —  Adieux  to  the  Cossacks 216 


CONTENTS.  Jx 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

Page 

Departure  of  King  Murat.  —  Eugene  as  Commander-in-Chief 

of  the  Grand  Army.  —  Difficulties  of  the  Situation.  — The 

Retreat  on  the  Oder.  —  Discouragement  of  the  Army.  — 

Efforts  of  the  Prince  to  reorganise  it.  —  The  Retreat  on 

the  Elbe.  —  Return  of  the  Emperor.  —  Eugene  at  Liitzen. 

—  Departure  for  Italy 251 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 
Vol.  I. 

Page 
Prince  Eugene,  Duke  of  Leuchtenberg     .    .  Frontispiece. 
After  the  original  painting  in  the  Castle  of  Arenenberg. 

The  Empress  Josephine 4 

From  the  original  painting  by  G6rard  in  the  Louvre. 

Napoleon no 

From  the  original  by  F.  G6rard. 

Pauline  Bonaparte 131 

After  the  painting  by  Robert  Lefebre. 

Maria     Letizia     Ramolino    (Madame    Bonaparte), 

Mother  of  the  Emperor 144 

After  the  painting  by  F.  G6rard. 

Marie  Anne  Elise  Bonaparte,  Grand  Duchess  of 

Tuscany 200 

After  the  painting  by  R.  Lethierie. 


THE 

ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Prince  Eugene's  Childhood.  —  His  Military  Tastes.  —  Develop- 
ment of  his  Character.  —  His  Precocity  justifies  his  Military 
Career.  —  His  Marriage. — The  Princess  of  Bavaria  and 
Napoleon. 

I. 

THE  star  of  Love,  Prince  Eugene's  guiding 
planet,  shone  even  over  his  cradle.  His 
mother,  Josephine  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie  (after- 
wards the  celebrated  Empress  Josephine),  had 
loved  and  wedded  at  an  age  when  other  young 
girls  have  not  yet  crossed  the  threshold  of  their 
convent  schools.  The  blood  of  the  Island  of 
Martinique  coursed  through  her  veins.  Eugene, 
in  his  memoirs  (dictated  two  years  before  his 
death),  says  that  she  was  hardly  fourteen  years  old 
when  she  married  the  Vicomte  de  Beauharnais, 
who  was  later  on  the  President  of  the  Constitu- 
ent Assembly. 

VOL.  I.  —  I 


2  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

At  the  time  of  Eugene's  birth,  September  3, 
1 78 1,  the  first  symptoms  of  the  Revolution  had 
already  manifested  themselves;  but  few  were 
thoughtful  and  attentive  enough  to  the  distant 
rumbling  to  take  in  the  full  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion, or  to  gauge  the  violence  of  the  ideas  and 
passions  fermenting  in  the  hearts  of  the  masses. 
M.  de  Beauharnais  was  among  the  first  to  com- 
prehend the  meaning  of  the  signs.  He  espoused 
the  popular  cause  with  the  greatest  ardour  and 
generosity.  Elected  member  of  the  Constituent 
Assembly,  he  took  his  seat  on  the  Left.  He  was 
not  long  in  attaining  great  influence,  and  was 
shortly  chosen  President  of  the  Assembly. 

Eugene  received  his  first  impressions  while 
still  a  child,  living  as  he  did  in  the  midst  of  these 
stirring  events.  He  recalls  with  great  simplicity, 
in  his  memoirs,  the  incident  of  his  being  present 
at  a  session  of  the  Constituent  Assembly  under 
very  touching  circumstances  for  a  child.  His 
father,  the  Vicomte,  imbued  with  liberal  principles 
and  generously  devoted  to  the  progress  and  liber- 
ties of  the  people,  was  seated  on  the  Left.  His 
uncle,  the  Vicomte's  elder  brother,  the  Marquis 
Francois  de  Beauharnais,  on  the  contrary,  had 
remained  faithful   to   the   traditions  of    the  old 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  3 

monarchy,  and  was  seated  on  the  Royalist  side. 
Eugene,  who  often  accompanied  his  father  to  the 
sessions  of  the  Assembly,  as  a  rule  remained  near 
the  stove,  which  was  placed  exactly  on  the  divid- 
ing line  of  the  two  parties;  it  sometimes  happened 
that  he  held  his  father's  hand  in  one  of  his,  while 
with  the  other  he  affectionately  pressed  that  of 
his  uncle,  forming  a  loving  and  living  link  be- 
tween the  two  brothers,  enemies  through  political 
differences.  What  a  touching  remembrance  for 
a  child  of  nine  years  ! 

II. 

Several  years  later,  in  1794,  the  Vicomte  de 
Beauharnais,  falling  under  suspicion  at  the  ending 
of  a  badly  directed  campaign  on  the  Rhine,  was 
led  to  the  scaffold.  His  son  was,  according  to  the 
ideas  of  the  day,  apprenticed  to  a  miller,  and  his 
daughter  Hortense,  the  future  Queen  of  Holland, 
to  a  dressmaker.  The  Reign  of  Terror  ended, 
Eugene  and  his  sister,  taken  from  this  slavery, 
regained  their  social  rank ;  the  young  man  enter- 
ing upon  his  military  career  under  the  auspices 
of  Hoche,  to  whom  he  had  been  recommended 
by  his  unfortunate  father.     Nothing  could  have 


4  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

pleased  him  better,  for  he  felt  the  blood  of  a  gen- 
eration of  soldiers  coursing  through  his  veins. 
It  was  just  at  this  time  that  an  event  took  place 
which  at  first  threatened  to  narrow  his  tastes, 
but  afterwards  served  as  a  stepping-stone  to  his 
highest  ambitions.  His  mother,  the  Vicomtesse 
de  Beauharnais,  married  General  Bonaparte  in 
1796,  notwithstanding  the  violent  opposition  of 
Eugene  and  Hortense,  who,  venerating  their 
father's  memory,  looked  upon  the  union  as  an 
outrage  to  their  beloved  dead. 

Bonaparte  nursed  no  bitterness  towards  the 
son  of  his  loved  Josephine,  and  he  took  him  with 
him  in  his  Italian  campaign,  after  having  bestowed 
upon  him  the  grade  of  sub-lieutenant  of  Hussars. 
The  young  man  from  the  first  showed  himself 
worthy  of  his  ancestors;  he  was  wounded  at 
Roveredo,  the  day  after  his  fifteenth  birthday, 
and  conducted  himself  throughout  the  whole 
campaign  like  an  old  soldier. 

After  Campo-Formio,  the  young  officer  was 
given  a  mission  by  Bonaparte,  tending  to  develop 
his  experience  of  men  and  to  mature  his  judg- 
ment. He  was  sent  as  France's  representative  to 
the  new  republic  of  the  Ionian  Islands,  where 
he  was  received  with  great  enthusiasm.      After- 


% 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  5 

wards,  his  stepfather,  who  had  become  his  idol, 
took  him  with  him  into  Egypt.  During  the 
whole  of  this  arduous  campaign,  Eugene  dis- 
played numerous  proofs  of  courage,  endurance, 
and  military  talent.  On  one  special  occasion,  he 
showed,  in  a  peculiar  manner,  the  precocious  firm- 
ness and  dignity  of  his  character.  Aide-de-camp 
to  the  Commander-in-Chief,  it  was  his  duty  to 
ride  beside  his  stepfather's  carriage.  One  day  he 
positively  refused  to  escort  in  this  manner  a  lady 
upon  whom  Napoleon  was  lavishing  his  atten- 
tions, and  who  rode  beside  him  in  the  carriage. 
He  recalled  his  mother's  husband  to  his  self- 
respect,  and  nobly  upheld  her  dignity.  This 
firm  solicitude  certainly  spared  Josephine  many 
hours  of  bitterness,  and  strengthened  the  esteem 
in  which  his  general  held  him.  He  returned 
to  France  with  Bonaparte,  was  associated  with 
him  in  the  perils  of  his  coup  d'etat,  and  was 
made  Captain  of  light  infantry  in  the  Consular 
Guard. 

Eugene,  who  at  this  time  had  not  attained  his 
eighteenth  year,  was  a  man  in  every  respect. 
Josephine,  who  lavished  her  love  upon  him,  was 
lost  in  admiration  of  his  martial  and  manly  as- 
pect, his  firm  and  dignified  bearing,  the  matured 


6  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

reasoning  powers  of  his  mind,  ripened  by  adven- 
tures and  habit  of  command,  under  the  trials  of  a 
campaign  carried  on  under  the  scorching  African 
sun.  The  First  Consul  evinced  the  greatest  at- 
tachment towards  him,  and  reposed  a  confidence 
in  him  far  beyond  that  justified  by  his  age,  but 
increased  by  the  young  man's  courageous  and 
prudent  conduct  in  Egypt.  He  often  made  him 
the  confidant  of  his  inmost  thoughts,  as  well 
as  of  the  anguish  which  the  malicious  reports  of 
his  wife's  conduct  caused  him ;  for  he  adored  her 
in  spite  of  her  erratic  behaviour.  Eugene  tells 
in  his  memoirs  how  he  often  had  to  accept  the 
difficult  task  of  soothing  Bonaparte's  resentment 
and  quieting  the  rage  storming  in  his  heart.  He 
acquitted  himself  with  a  delicacy  and  skill  rare  in 
so  young  a  man.  His  conciliatory  words  calmed 
his  stepfather's  anguish,  and  prevented  him  more 
than  once  from  breaking  the  chain  which  bound 
him  to  a  still  well-beloved  spouse. 

Joined  to  these  solid  qualities,  Eugene  pos- 
sessed an  amiable  and  loving  character,  which 
had  gained  for  him  before  this  period  the  warm 
affection  of  those  who  surrounded  him.  Con- 
stant, who  was  his  valet  before  becoming  the 
Emperor's,  sketched   the    following    portrait   of 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  7 

the   future   Viceroy,  at  this   early  stage  of  his 
career : — 

"  He  was  good,  gay,  amiable,  full  of  life,  generous  ; 
and  his  open,  frank  physiognomy  could  truthfully  be 
said  to  mirror  his  soul.  How  many  kind  acts  has  he 
not  done  during  the  course  of  his  life,  and  at  a  time 
when  to  do  them  imposed  sacrifices  upon  him ! " 

Another  witness  of  his  private  life,  Mademoi- 
selle Avrillon,  Josephine's  lady-in-waiting,  thus 
expresses  herself  on  the  character  of  Eugene : 

"  He  excelled  in  all  athletic  exercises,  and  danced 
beautifully.  Good,  frank,  and  simple  in  his  manners, 
without  arrogance,  without  haughtiness,  he  showed  him- 
self constantly  affable  to  every  one  ;  and  though  he  was 
not  devoid  of  sensibility,  he  was  remarkable  for  his 
gaiety.  Passionately  fond  of  music,  he  sang  divinely, 
especially  Italian  music,  which  was,  in  fact,  preferred  by 
the  family." 

III. 

If  Eugene  was  an  expert  and  graceful  dancer, 
he  was  no  less  a  frank  and  loyal  soldier.  He  was 
in  love  with  his  profession,  and  despised  the  life  of 
sloth  and  intrigue  which  was  led  in  the  antecham- 
bers of  the  great.  It  was  at  his  own  request  that 
Bonaparte  gave  him  a  commission  in  the  Guards, 


8  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

and  that  he  accompanied  him,  in  1800,  to  the  new 
campaign  in  Italy.  Eugene  was  among  the  first 
to  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  the  new  Peninsula. 
Some  of  the  soldiers,  on  reaching  the  summit  of 
Saint-Bernard,  conceived  the  daring  project  of 
sliding  down  the  abrupt  decline ;  he  joined  these 
foolhardy  men,  and  rapidly  descended  the  moun- 
tain side,  as  though  he  were  possessed  with  a 
wild  desire  quickly  to  enter  this  beautiful  country 
over  which  he  was  one  day  destined  to  rule. 

The  young  captain  took  part  in  many  of  the 
engagements  of  that  campaign,  and  distinguished 
himself  anew  by  his  generosity  as  well  as  by  his 
courage.  At  Marengo,  in  the  midst  of  a  charge, 
a  wounded  enemy  fell  to  the  ground  in  front  of 
his  company,  as  they  dashed  forward  at  full 
charge.  The  unfortunate  man  raised  his  hands 
in  supplication.  Eugene  perceived  him,  and  gave 
the  order:  "Open  ranks!  protect  this  brave 
fellow  1 "  His  order  was  obeyed,  and  the  wounded 
man  saved. 

This  cavalry  charge  was  so  disastrous  that  out 
of  the  one  hundred  and  fifteen  horses  which 
Eugene  had  in  his  company  in  the  morning,  but 
forty-five  remained  to  him  in  the  evening.  His 
brilliant  action  won  for  him,  at  the  age  of  nine- 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  9 

teen  years,  the  rank  of  Chief  of  Squadron.     On 
this  occasion,  Bonaparte  wrote  to  Josephine : 

"  Your  son  is  marching  with  rapid  steps  towards  im- 
mortality. He  has  covered  himself  with  glory  in  all  his 
battles.  He  will  eventually  become  one  of  the  greatest 
captains  in  Europe." 

Returning  to  Paris,  Eugene  passed  through 
Geneva,  where  a  series  of  fetes  was  organised  in 
his  honour.  Madame  de  Stael,  towards  whom 
Napoleon  later  showed  so  much  aversion,  com- 
posed some  verses  for  this  occasion,  to  celebrate 
the  glory  of  the  French  army  and  the  brave 
young  officer,  the  city's  guest.  Reaching  Paris, 
he  was  delegated  to  carry  the  flags  captured  from 
the  Austrians  to  the  Invalides;  afterwards  he 
took  part  in  the  fete  held  in  the  Champs  de  Mars 
in  honour  of  the  conquerors  of  Marengo.  He  was 
greeted  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm  by  the  popu- 
lace. Eugene  wrote  these  stirring  lines  on  this 
memorable  occasion  :  "  It  was  one  of  the  proud- 
est moments  of  my  life."  And  he  added  words 
which  showed  the  modesty  of  his  thoughts: 
"  These  witnesses  of  esteem  and  public  recogni- 
tion seemed  to  me  the  best  and  sweetest  recom- 
pense for  our  fatigues ;  they  inspired  me  with  a 
noble  pride  and  heartfelt  emotion." 


IO         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

The  young  man  spent  the  winter  of  1801  in 
the  capital.  His  cover  was  naturally  laid  at  the 
First  Consul's  table,  at  Paris  as  well  as  at 
Malmaison;  but,  with  his  habitual  delicacy,  he 
refrained  from  taking  undue  advantage  of  this 
privilege.  Constant  has  drawn  an  animated 
picture  of  the  life  then  led  in  the  Bonaparte 
household :  — 

"Society  flocked  there,  but  it  was  a  heterogeneous 
society.  Conversation  never  flagged  ;  games  of  hide-and- 
seek  were  organised;  comedies  were  acted.  Eugene 
was  the  life  of  these  merry  gatherings,  at  which  Bona- 
parte found  much  amusement,  without  taking  any  very 
active  part;  and  in  everything  he  did,  he  showed  to 
the  greatest  advantage." 

The  Duchesse  d'Abrantes,  who  knew  him 
intimately  at  that  time,  has  left  us  a  charming 
pen-portrait  of  him ;  which  I  cannot  resist  the 
desire  to  recall  here,  as  it  brings  out  the  amiable 
and  gracious  sides  of  my  hero's  character  :  — 

"  His  personality  [she  said]  displayed  an  elegance 
much  more  attractive  from  the  fact  that  it  carried  with 
it  one  thing  rarely  found  in  combination,  —  an  unassum- 
ing frankness  and  gaiety.  His  laugh  was  that  of  a 
child's,  but  his  hilarity  was  never  called  forth  by  an  ill- 
timed  jest.  He  was  amiable,  gracious,  polished  without 
being  obsequious,  a  joker  without  being  impertinent,  — 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         1 1 

a  lost  talent,  let  me  remark  in  parenthesis.  He  was  a 
good  actor,  a  delightful  singer,  danced  as  his  father  had 
danced  before  him,  who  had  earned  the  nickname  of 
'  Beauharnais,  the  beautiful  dancer,'  and,  in  a  word,  was 
a  very  agreeable  young  man." 

Is  that  not  a  delightful  sketch  of  the  man,  and 
a  proper  explanation  of  the  ardent  friendships 
and  warm  affections  which  Eugene  was  capable 
of  inspiring  ?  He  merited  them,  and,  moreover, 
returned  them  with  interest.  Nothing  could  be 
more  touching  than  the  affection  he  displayed 
for  his  mother  and  his  sister,  except  the  devotion 
which  he  lavished  on  Bonaparte.  He  would  not 
have  hesitated  to  have  sacrificed  his  life  for  that 
of  his  chief;  and  he  proved  it  during  the  course 
of  the  winter. 

One  evening,  going  to  Bonaparte's  house  for 
dinner  before  repairing  to  the  opera,  he  was 
astonished  at  the  laughing  greeting  he  received 
of,  "  Well,  you  do  not  know,  perhaps,  that  I  am 
to  be  assassinated  this  evening  at  the  opera  ? " 
His  stepfather's  features  were  so  calm  that 
Eugene  at  first  looked  upon  his  words  as  a  jest; 
but  he  was  quickly  disabused,  and  was  soon  inter- 
ested in  planning  how  to  defeat  the  conspiracy. 
He  took  a  handful  of  his  infantry  with  him,  and 


12  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

preceding  Bonaparte  by  about  fifty  feet,  entered 
the  Opera  House  as  though  he  were  the  First 
Consul.  At  a  given  signal,  the  soldiers  halted, 
Eugene  retired,  and  the  General  entered  his 
box.  At  the  same  moment  the  conspirators  were 
arrested,  without  having  an  opportunity  of  using 
the  pistols  and  poniards  found  upon  their  per- 
sons. A  slight  mistake  in  the  carrying  out  of 
this  plan,  and  Eugene  would  have  received  the 
death-blow  intended  for  his  beloved  master. 


IV. 

The  great  love  which  Eugene  bore  for  his 
stepfather  did  not  prevent  him,  as  already  stated, 
from  resisting  him  frankly.  Like  his  mother, 
he  was  very  much  affected  by  the  tragic  fate  of 
the  Due  d'Enghien.  The  future  Empress  over- 
whelmed her  illustrious  spouse  with  bitter  re- 
proaches, to  which  he,  who  was  ever  ready  with  a 
prompt  and  quick  reply,  found  not  a  word  to  say 
in  extenuation.  "Twenty  years  have  passed  since 
that  event,"  Eugene  wrote;  and  he  added  with 
an  emotion  distinguishable  through  his  simple 
words,  "  I  was  very  much  distressed,  on  account 
of  the  love  and  respect  I  bore  the  First  Con- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         1 3 

sul ;    it  seemed  to  me  that   his   glory  was  tar- 
nished." 

He  also  relates  this  touching  incident :  — 

"  The  Prince  de  Cond6,  before  dying,  had  expressed 
a  wish  that  his  little  dog,  to  which  he  was  fondly  attached, 
should  be  sent  —  with  certain  other  effects,  which  he 
desired  to  leave  as  legacies  —  to  a  lady,  whose  loving 
remembrances  filled  his  last  moments." 

Eugene  was  very  happy  to  learn  that  Jose- 
phine, a  few  days  after  the  stormy  scene  with  her 
husband,  had  found  the  means  of  complying  with 
the  last  request  of  the  unfortunate  descendant  of 
the  Condes. 

Eugene  was  made  Colonel  in  1802,  and  Briga- 
dier-General in  1804,  at  the  early  age  of  twenty- 
two.  Bonaparte  himself  did  not  reach  this  dignity 
until  after  he  had  passed  his  twenty-fourth  year. 

That  same  year  Napoleon  grasped  the  impe- 
rial crown,  and  Eugene  suddenly  found  himself 
on  the  steps  of  a  throne.  Far  from  being  filled 
with  pride,  he  rather  felt  himself  incommoded  in 
his  manner  of  living,  and  chilled  in  his  tastes,  by 
the  minute  etiquette  of  the  new  court.  He  was 
not  impressed  by  the  magnificence  and  the  cere- 
monious pomp  of  the  new  life,  but,  in  the  superior 
trend  of  his  mind,  this  very  young  man  fled  from 


14         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

the  honours  so  lavishly  heaped  upon  him,  pre- 
ferring an  active  career  to  these  empty  titles.  "  I 
was  never  struck,"  he  wrote  later,  "  nor  dazzled 
by  these  outward  marks  of  grandeur."  When 
Napoleon  offered  him  the  post  of  Grand  Cham- 
berlain, he  refused  it,  under  pretext  that  his  tastes 
were  altogether  too  military  for  any  other  career 
than  that  of  arms.  "  I  must  admit,  however,"  he 
said  with  a  naive  and  charming  frankness,  in  later 
retracing  these  years,  "  that  if  the  Emperor  had 
offered  me  the  post  of  Equerry,  I  might  have 
accepted  it,  because  there  were  horses  in  the 
question,  of  which  I  am  passionately  fond ;  and, 
besides,  there  was  something  in  that  post  resem- 
bling a  regiment." 

Shortly  before  the  coronation,  Eugene  was 
made  Colonel-General  of  the  Infantry  of  the 
Army.  He  welcomed  this  promotion  with  the 
greatest  satisfaction,  for  the  Emperor,  to  use  his 
own  words,  "left  him  in  his  element." 

After  this,  cannot  one  be  astonished  at  the 
proud  and  loyal  attitude  he  preserved,  when  it 
was  a  question  of  regulating  the  succession  to  the 
throne  ?  Napoleon's  brothers  allowed  their  ambi- 
tious pretensions  to  be  seen;  they  intrigued  to 
prevent  the  Emperor  from  adopting  Hortense's 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         1 5 

son.  Eugene  held  himself  aloof,  an  outsider  to 
all  competition.  But  his  superior  merit  called 
forth  a  great  deal  of  jealousy,  and  his  enemies 
worked  hard  to  excite  distrust  in  his  Emperor's 
mind  against  him.  In  January,  1805,  it  almost 
looked  as  though  calumny  had  succeeded  in  these 
odious  attempts;  Eugene  received  orders  to  set 
out  for  Italy  in  twenty-four  hours;  and  when  he 
presented  himself  before  Napoleon  to  make  his 
adieux,  the  cold  reception  awarded  him  gave  him 
to  understand  that  he  was  really  in  disgrace.  He 
set  out,  however,  without  a  murmur,  disdaining  a 
justification. 

Madame  de  Remusat,  in  citing  this  incident 
in  her  memoirs,  remarks  that  Hortense  rejoiced 
greatly  in  this  submission  to  Napoleon's  orders 
by  her  brother.  "  If  the  Emperor,"  she  said  to 
me,  "  had  exacted  a  similar  obedience  from  one 
of  his  own,  you  would  have  seen  rebellion  and 
heard  grumbling ;  but  in  this  case,  not  one  word 
of  objection  was  spoken,  and  I  think  that  Bona- 
parte will  be  impressed  by  this  obedience."  The 
Emperor,  in  fact,  was  so  impressed,  and  especially 
by  the  malicious  joy  shown  by  his  brothers  and 
sisters.  He  had  sent  his  step-son  away  in  a 
moment  of  spleen,  but,  according  to  Madame  de 


1 6         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Remusat,   "he    wanted    to    immediately   recom- 
pense him  for  the  wrong  done  him." 

V. 

The  recompense  was  not  long  in  coming,  and 
when  it  came  was  startling.  Eugene  had  reached 
Tarare,  and,  on  horseback,  at  the  head  of  his 
regiment,  under  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  was  prepar- 
ing to  march,  when  a  courier  handed  him  the 
following  letter:  — 

Tuileries,  February  ist,  1805. 

My  Cousin,  —  I  have  named  you  Prince  and  Arch- 
Chancellor  of  State.  I  can  add  nothing  to  the  senti- 
ments expressed  in  the  message  which  I  sent  to  the 
Senate  on  this  occasion,  a  copy  of  which  I  forward  to 
you.  In  this  you  will  see  a  proof  of  the  tender  love  I 
bear  you,  and  the  hope  I  entertain  that  you  will  continue 
in  the  same  path  to  profit  by  the  examples  and  lessons 
which  I  have  given  you.  This  charge  carries  with  it  no 
obstacle  to  your  military  career.  Your  title  is  Prince 
Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  Arch-Chancellor  of  the  State, 
and  you  will  be  addressed  as  Serene  Highness. 

I  pray  God  may  hold  you  in  His  holy  and  loving  care. 

Napoleon. 
Eugene  hastened  to  reply :  — 

SlRE,  —  I  have  just  this  instant  received  the  letter 
with  which  Your  Majesty  has  deigned  to  honour  me.  I 
was  already  so  overwhelmed  with  benefits  that  I  thought 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         I  7 

it  impossible  to  add  anything  to  them.  It  has  pleased 
you,  however,  to  give  me  a  new  proof  of  your  kindness 
in  elevating  me  to  the  dignity  of  Arch-Chancellor  of 
State  and  Prince.  This  dignity  and  title  can  add 
nothing  to  the  boundless  devotion  and  attachment 
which  binds  me  to  Your  Majesty.  These  sentiments 
will  end,  Sire,  only  with  my  life. 

Did  this  high  distinction  succeed  in  detracting 
from  the  natural  modesty  of  our  young  hero? 
Not  at  all.  He  continued  to  live  with  his  officers 
and  men  as  formerly,  and  he  remained  impassive 
under  the  deluge  of  felicitations  poured  upon 
him,  which  he  knew  how  to  appreciate  at  their 
true  value.  The  intoxication  of  pride  had  no 
power  to  move  his  heart.  The  only  thing  which 
really  troubled  him  was  the  superb  message 
addressed  to  the  Senate  by  Napoleon,  in  which 
the  latter  raised  an  imperishable  monument  to 
the  rare  qualities  of  his  step-son. 

Senators,  —  We  have  named  our  step-son,  Eugene 
de  Beauharnais,  Arch-Chancellor  of  State.  No  act  in 
our  power  could  be  nearer  our  heart. 

Brought  up  by  our  care  and  under  our  eyes  since 
his  childhood,  he  has  made  himself  worthy  of  imitating, 
and,  by  the  help  of  God,  of  surpassing  one  day  the 
examples  and  lessons  which  have  been  given  him. 

Though  still  young,  we  consider  him  from  to-day, 
vol.  1.  —  2 


1 8         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

by  the  experience  to  which  he  has  been  subjected  in 
the  most  important  circumstances,  as  one  of  the  props 
of  our  throne  and  one  of  the  bravest  defenders  of  our 
country. 

In  the  midst  of  the  cares  and  bitterness  inseparable 
from  the  high  rank  in  which  we  are  placed,  our  heart 
has  had  need  of  the  loving  affection  and  tenderness  of 
this  child  of  our  adoption,  —  a  consolation  necessary, 
doubtless,  to  all  men,  but  more  eminently  so  to  us, 
whose  every  moment  is  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  our 
people. 

I  pray  that  your  paternal  benediction  will  accompany 
this  young  Prince  in  every  step  of  his  career,  and  that, 
seconded  by  Providence,  he  shall  be  worthy  of  the 
approbation  of  posterity. 

Tuileries,  February  rst,  1805. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  Napoleon  was  crowned  at 
Milan  as  the  King  of  Italy.  On  June  5,  he 
conferred  the  title  of  Viceroy  on  Eugene.  This 
young  man  was  not  quite  twenty-four  years  old 
when  he  became  Napoleon's  right-hand  man,  and 
the  representative  of  his  genius  in  the  govern- 
ment of  this  brilliant  kingdom. 

Eugene  accepted  this  new  dignity  in  the  spirit 
of  a  man,  consecrating  all  his  strength  to  the 
accomplishment  of  a  heavy  duty.  He  redoubled 
the  ardour  of  his  work  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
Emperor  recommended  him  to  take  more  repose 
and  some  distractions. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         19 


VI. 

The  labours  of  the  energetic  Viceroy  were  of 
the  greatest  service  to  Napoleon  in  his  campaign 
in  Austria  in  1805.  Owing  to  the  foresight  and 
administrative  talents  of  his  step-son,  the  great 
general  found  Italy  prepared  to  defend  herself, 
and  asking  nothing  better,  after  having  already 
repulsed  the  enemy,  than  to  boldly  attack  him 
on  his  own  territory.  But  the  Prince  did  not 
content  himself  with  contributing  solely  to  the 
Emperor's  success;  he  desired  to  work  for  the 
prosperity  and  happiness  of  the  Italian  nation  at 
the  same  time.  Unfortunately,  Napoleon  looked 
upon  the  kingdom  as  a  country  already  con- 
quered; for  his  war  projects  he  had  great  and 
incessant  needs  for  money,  men,  horses,  and  mili- 
tary provisions,  and  he  pitilessly  imposed  heavy 
taxes  on  his  subjects  across  the  Alps. 

When,  on  the  one  hand,  Eugene  desired  to 
forward  the  designs  of  the  one  to  whom  he  owed 
everything,  and,  on  the  other,  endeavoured  to 
lighten  the  heavy  duties  imposed  upon  his  sub- 
jects, it  naturally  followed  that  certain  disagree- 
ments arose  between  the  Emperor  and  his  Vice- 


20         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

roy.  These  oftentimes  aroused  a  discontent  on 
the  part  of  Napoleon,  —  a  discontent  which,  to 
tell  the  truth,  was  but  fleeting  in  its  nature. 

Napoleon,  believing  himself  opposed  in  the 
slightest  of  his  wishes,  at  once  became  imperious. 
For  instance,  Duroc,  Grand  Marshal  of  the 
Palace,  holding  his  instructions  certainly  from 
the  Emperor,  in  a  letter  to  Eugene  under  date  of 
July  31,  1805,  at  a  time  when  the  young  kingdom 
was  not  yet  two  months  old,  accused  him  of  over- 
stepping his  powers  and  "doing  things  which 
belonged  to  the  Master  alone."  To  demonstrate 
to  him  more  fully  that  he  must  always  await 
orders  from  Napoleon,  and  execute  them  vigor- 
ously and  to  the  letter,  he  makes  use  of  the  fol- 
lowing words,  which  go  to  prove  to  what  a  point 
the  Emperor  pushed  matters  when  an  obstacle, 
no  matter  how  slight,  was  set  up  in  opposition  to 
his  will:  — 

"  To  speak  on  the  very  smallest  things,  if  you  asked 
His  Majesty  his  orders  or  his  advice,  as  to  changing  the 
ceiling  in  your  room,  you  must  wait  until  you  receive 
them ;  if  Milan  were  on  fire,  and  you  demanded  means 
of  extinguishing  the  fire  from  him,  you  must  let  Milan 
burn,  while  awaiting  his  orders." 

In  dealing  with  a  sensibility  so  touchy,  the 
Prince  needed  to  exercise  a  most  delicate  tact  in 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         21 

order  to  content  Napoleon  and  at  the  same  time 
to  gain  the  affection  of  his  subjects.  He  suc- 
ceeded marvellously  in  the  one  case  as  in  the 
other,  but  not  without  much  trouble.  The  prep- 
arations for  the  campaign  of  1806  augmented 
still  more  the  Emperor's  demands  on  Italy.  As 
a  careful  and  thoughtful  ruler  for  the  welfare  of 
his  people,  Eugene  showed  real  repugnance  to 
aggravating  the  heavy  taxes  already  supported  by 
the  Italians.  Napoleon  scolded  him,  as  can  be 
seen  in  a  letter  dated  September  16,  relative 
to  the  requisition  of  horses  and  waggons,  which 
Eugene  had  found  a  trifle  excessive.  I  cite  this 
letter,  not  for  the  importance  of  the  fact,  but 
to  show  the  kind  of  difficulties  against  which 
Eugene  had  to  struggle:  — 

"You  have  hired  two  hundred  horses  for  General 
Lacombe  Saint-Michel.  What  are  two  hundred  horses? 
If  the  Austrians  were  masters  of  the  kingdom,  they 
would  not  demean  themselves  by  such  economy.  I 
cannot  see  why  you  should  feel  such  a  repugnance; 
and  I  am  surprised  the  Minister  of  War  has  not  enlight- 
ened you  on  the  subject  In  every  similar  circum- 
stance, a  requisition  of  horses  has  been  made.  It  was 
not  nine  hundred  waggons  I  took  when  I  was  in  Italy, 
but  two  thousand,  and  these  requisitions  were  made  in 
disorder,  which  was  vexatious  for  the  country.      You 


22         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

must  not  let  yourself  be  frightened  by  the  cries  of  the 
Italians;  they  are  never  content.  But  force  them  to 
this  reflection :  '  What  would  the  Austrians  do  under  the 
same  circumstances?'  They  would  act  with  decision." 

Eugene's  reply  was  worthy  of  his  rank,  of  the 
loftiness  of  his  character,  and  of  the  watchful  care 
with  which  he  protected  his  subjects.  He  wrote 
from  Monza,  his  summer  residence,  and  at  the 
present  day,  that  of  the  King  of  Italy:  — 

"  If  I  have  not  earned  the  approbation  of  Your 
Majesty  in  the  matter  of  certain  refusals  which  I  made 
to  the  French  Army,  I  must  certainly  have  explained 
my  actions  badly.  I  take  the  liberty  of  forwarding  to 
Your  Majesty  a  copy  of  a  letter  from  Marshal  Massena, 
and  in  it  you  will  see  that  I  gave  him  nearly  everything 
he  asked  for.  General  Lacombe  Saint-Michel  only 
received  two  hundred  horses  because  he  desired  no 
more.  I  only  refused  requisitions  when  there  was  a 
question  of  payment,  and  I  always  said  to  Marshals 
Jourdan  and  Massena  that  I  would  furnish  the  army 
with  everything  in  my  power,  but  that  I  begged  of  them 
to  accord  to  this  country  the  conditions  they  would 
make  with  a  Department  of  France." 

Does  not  all  this  prove  how  anxious  the  young 
Prince  was  to  economise  the  resources  of  the 
country  which  had  been  confided  to  his  care  ?  In 
his  place,  some  courtier,  more  occupied  with  try- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         2$ 

ing  to  insinuate  himself  into  the  good  graces  of 
the  Master  than  to  strengthen  the  prosperity 
of  his  subjects,  could  easily  have  evaded  these 
reproaches. 

During  the  whole  of  the  campaign,  Eugene 
employed  vigorous  measures  to  maintain  Italy, 
to  guard  her  from  attack  on  the  part  of  the 
Austrians,  and  to  prevent  their  sacking  Venice. 
Napoleon  acknowledged  this  on  the  battlefield 
of  Austerlitz,  saying  to  those  who  surrounded 
him :  "  Well,  Messieurs,  you  see  what  Prince 
Eugene  has  done.  I  knew  well  to  whom  I  had 
confided  my  sword  in  Italy!" 

Such  was  the  man.  Good,  intelligent,  and 
brave,  gifted  with  all  the  talents  which  make  man 
superior,  he  showed  himself  worthy  of  the  highest 
and  most  delicate  functions  at  an  age  when  the 
majority  of  men  had  but  started  out  in  life.  We 
are  now  about  to  see  him  under  a  new  aspect, 
—  that  of  a  faithful  and  tender  husband,  a  loving 
and  devoted  father.  He  was,  in  fact,  on  the 
verge  of  a  decisive  period  of  his  existence. 


24         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 


* 

VII. 

The  Treaty  of  Presburg  had  made  a  kingdom 
of  the  Electorate  of  Bavaria,  to  which  the  Tyrol 
had  been  annexed.  Napoleon,  returning  from 
Vienna,  stopped  several  days  at  Munich  with  his 
ally,  Maximilian-Joseph,  to  whom  he  had  just 
given  a  crown.  He  was  received  with  an  inde- 
scribable enthusiasm,  in  which  admiration  for  the 
victor  of  Marengo  held  a  secondary  place  to  the 
gratitude  felt  for  the  benefactor  of  Bavaria,  so 
elated  at  rinding  herself  elevated  to  the  rank  of 
a  kingdom. 

Napoleon  restored  numerous  flags  and  cannons 
found  by  him  in  the  Arsenal  at  Vienna,  which 
had  been  taken  by  the  Austrians  sixty  years 
before.  The  Court  and  the  people  rivalled  each 
other  in  the  enthusiastic  displays  of  their  grati- 
tude towards  Napoleon. 

Could  they  refuse  anything  to  the  author  of  so 
many  benefits  ?  And  what  he  wanted  for  Eugene 
was  nothing  less  than  the  hand  of  the  Princess 
Royal  of  Bavaria,  reputed  to  be  the  most  beauti- 
ful, the  most  charming  Princess  in  Germany. 


THE  ROMAxVCE   OF  PRINCE  EC/GENE.  25 

Napoleon,  as  is  well  known,  had  a  passion  for 
making  marriages.  When  it  was  a  question  of  the 
welfare  of  Eugene,  to  whom  he  was  attached  by  so 
tender  an  interest,  he  naturally  looked  for  a  con- 
nection which  would  be  worthy  of  him  and  add  to 
his  happiness.     His  choice  was  an  excellent  one. 

The  Princess  Augusta  possessed  a  sweet  and 
amiable  character,  and  —  which  certainly  did  not 
detract  from  her  charms  —  was  of  exceptional 
beauty.  The  following  is  a  portrait  which  has 
been  transmitted  to  us  by  a  contemporary  of  this 
charming  young  girl :  — 

"  There  was  an  indescribable  charm  emanating  from 
the  personality  of  the  Princess  Augusta;  she  was  not 
yet  eighteen  years  old ;  she  was  tall,  well  formed,  and 
of  a  sylph-like  figure.  Her  natural  dignity  commanded 
respect  at  all  times;  her  face  was  handsome  rather  than 
pretty,  her  complexion  remarkable  for  its  freshness, 
though  perhaps  too  highly  coloured.  But  what  was  most 
attractive  in  her  was  her  sweet  manner,  which  won  the 
love  and  admiration  of  all  who  approached  her.  All 
these  advantages  were  not  hers  by  nature  only.  Edu- 
cation could  claim  the  credit  of  a  good  share  of  them ; 
she  had  been  reared  with  extreme  simplicity,  and  nothing 
could  be  more  modest  than  her  ordinary  toilette." 

This  union  was  not  definitely  settled  without 
some  difficulty.    The  Princess  was  to  have  married 


26  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

her  cousin,  Prince  Charles  of  Baden,  to  whom 
she  was  devotedly  attached.  The  King  of  Bava- 
ria, knowing  there  was  no  harder  sacrifice  to  ask 
of  his  daughter  than  that  of  relinquishing  her 
dearest  hopes,  lacked  the  courage,  in  the  tender- 
ness of  his  paternal  love,  of  asking  her  to  change 
the  course  of  her  destiny  so  suddenly.  Fifteen 
days  before  she  saw  Eugene  for  the  first  time,  the 
King,  though  but  a  few  steps  separated  from  her 
apartments,  wrote  her  this  touching  appeal :  — 

"  If  there  is  the  slightest  ray  of  hope,  my  dearly 
beloved  Augusta,  that  you  can  ever  marry  Charles, 
Prince  of  Baden,  I  beg  you  on  my  knees  not  to  renounce 
him;  I  should  still  less  insist,  my  dear  daughter,  that 
you  should  give  your  hand  to  the  future  King  of  Italy, 
if  this  Crown  was  not  to  be  guaranteed  by  all  the 
Powers  at  the  conclusion  of  peace,  and  if  I  were  not 
sure  of  all  the  good  qualities  of  Prince  Eugene,  and  that 
he  was  capable  of  making  you  happy.  Remember,  my 
dear  child,  that  you  not  only  assure  the  happiness  of 
your  father,  but  that  of  your  brothers  and  the  people  of 
Bavaria,  who  all  so  ardently  desire  this  union.  A  proof 
that  this  marriage  is  a  desirable  one  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  Baron  de  Thugut  (Prime  Minister  of  Austria)  who, 
unfortunately  for  our  house,  has  retaken  the  governmental 
helm,  has  commenced  by  offering  the  Emperor's  eldest 
daughter  as  wife  to  Prince  Eugene.  It  grieves  me  to 
wound  your  heart;  but  I  count  on  the  love  and  devotion 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         2J 

which  you  have  always  shown  for  your  father,  and  the 
thought  that  you  would  not  willingly  embitter  his  last 
days. 

"  Remember,  dear  Augusta,  that  a  refusal  would  make 
the  Emperor  as  much  our  enemy  as  he  is  at  present  the 
friend  of  our  house. 

"  Spare  me  the  sorrow  of  an  explanation  which  would 
be  detrimental  to  my  shattered  health. 

"  Reply  to  me  by  writing  or  through  your  brother. 
Believe  me,  my  dearest,  that  it  causes  me  much  pain  to 
write  to  you  in  this  manner;  but  circumstances  which 
are  more  than  imperious,  and  my  duty  to  care  for  the 
interests  of  the  country  over  which  Providence  has 
placed  me  as  ruler,  leave  me  no  choice.  God  knows 
that  I  have  only  your  welfare  at  heart,  and  that 
no  one  in  the  world  loves  you  more  than  your  faithful 
father  and  best  friend." 

Could  the  young  Princess  refuse  to  ratify  the 
happiness  of  her  family  and  people  ?  That  same 
day  she  sent  these  sadly  resigned  lines  to  the  King, 
in  which  were  revealed  sentiments  so  exalted  as 
to  argue  well  for  Eugene's  happiness:  — 

My  very  dear  and  beloved  Father,  —  I  consent 
to  break  the  word  which  binds  me  to  Prince  Charles  of 
Baden,  notwithstanding  the  pain  it  costs  me,  if  by  so 
doing  I  can  guarantee  peace  of  mind  to  a  cherished 
father,  and  happiness  to  a  people  depending  upon  him. 

If  I  put  my  faith  in  your  hands,  cruel  though  it  may 
be,  yet  the  pain  is  softened  by  the  knowledge  that  I  am 


28         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

sacrificed  for  the  welfare  of  my  father,  my  family,  and 
my  country.  On  her  knees  your  child  asks  your 
blessing;  it  will  help  her  to  bear  her  sad  fate  with 
resignation. 

VIII. 

While  his  future  was  being  thus  settled, 
Eugene  was  in  complete  ignorance  of  what  was 
passing  at  Munich.  Only  nine  days  after  the 
Princess'  consent,  he  received  orders  from  Napo- 
leon to  prepare  for  the  marriage.  This  order 
was  as  simple  and  formal  as  though  it  was  a  ques- 
tion of  a  manoeuvre  of  troops  on  a  battle-field : 

My  Cousin,  —  I  have  just  arrived  in  Munich;  I 
have  arranged  your  marriage  with  the  Princess  Augusta. 
It  has  been  publicly  announced.  This  morning  the 
Princess  favoured  me  with  a  visit,  and  I  conversed  with 
her  for  a  long  time.  She  is  very  pretty.  You  will  find 
her  portrait  accompanying  this  on  a  cup;  but  she  is 
much  better-looking. 

I  imagine  that  upon  receipt  of  this  peremptory 
order,  Eugene  must  have  experienced  some  un- 
easiness on  the  subject  of  his  future.  This 
woman  to  whom  he  was  to  be  united  for  life  was 
but  a  myth,  upon  which  to  build  hopes  of  happi- 
ness, or  suppress  fears  of  coming  misery  for  the 
rest  of  his  life. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         29 

Three  days  later,  Eugene  received  this  second 
epistle,  in  the  same  strain  as  its  predecessor :  — 

My  Cousin,  —  Twelve  hours  after  the  receipt  of  this 
letter  you  will  set  out  in  all  haste  for  Munich.  En- 
deavour to  reach  here  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that  you 
will  find  me.  You  will  leave  your  troops  in  command 
of  the  general  you  consider  the  most  trustworthy.  It  is 
not  necessary  for  you  to  bring  a  large  suite  with  you. 
Set  out  promptly  and  incog.,  as  much  to  lessen  danger 
as  to  prevent  any  unnecessary  delays.  Send  me  a 
courier  to  announce  your  arrival  twenty-four  hours  in 
advance. 

P.  S.  One  hour  after  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  send 
me  a  courier  to  announce  the  day  upon  which  you 
think  you  can  arrive. 

Eugene  set  out  several  hours  later.  He  not 
only  hastened,  as  can  be  easily  comprehended,  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  his  fiancee  in  a  more 
satisfactory  manner  than  by  means  of  a  portrait 
on  a  cup,  but  he  was  also  burning  with  impatience 
to  see  once  more  his  mother,  who  he  knew  had 
gone  to  Munich  to  wait  for  him. 

Eugene  had  hardly  crossed  the  threshold  of 
the  royal  palace  in  Munich  before  Napoleon  sent 
for  him,  and,  taking  him  into  his  private  cabinet, 
advised  him  strongly  to  cut  off  his  huge  mous- 
tache, as  he  feared  the  fierce  and  military  aspect 


30         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

of  this  ornament  might  make  an  unfavourable 
impression  on  the  young  Princess. 

The  first  interview  between  the  young  people 
went  far  towards  calming  their  mutual  apprehen- 
sions. They  agreed  that  there  was  nothing  dis- 
tasteful in  the  one  for  the  other.  Soon  a  mutual 
esteem  and  a  full  confidence  in  the  future  was 
established  in  their  hearts. 

As  has  already  been  seen  from  the  King  of 
Bavaria's  letter  to  his  daughter,  Napoleon  had 
given  out  that,  in  default  of  a  direct  heir,  he 
would  make  Eugene  King  of  Italy.  The  offer 
of  an  archduchess  of  Austria  as  a  spouse  for 
Eugene,  to  which  the  King  had  alluded  in  his 
letter,  had  confirmed  his  confidence  in  the  high 
destiny  reserved  for  Eugene.  As  Napoleon, 
already  married  ten  years,  was  still  childless,  the 
Princess  had  every  reason  to  hope  that  she  would 
one  day  be  Queen  of  Italy. 

The  marriage  was  celebrated  the  14th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1806,  just  eleven  days  after  Napoleon  had 
notified  Eugene  of  his  wishes. 

I  will  not  undertake  here  to  recapitulate  the 
pomps  of  the  nuptial  ceremony,  which  was  per- 
formed in  the  royal  chapel.  All  Munich  was  en 
fete.     The  city  was  profusely  dressed  with  flags, 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         31 

and  was  brilliantly  illuminated  in  the  evening. 
On  the  facade  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  under  the 
letters  "  A  and  E  "  in  jets  of  fire,  shone  the  words, 
corona  virtuti,  surrounded  by  allegorical  tab- 
leaux. All  the  municipal  buildings,  the  palaces, 
the  monuments,  the  city  gates,  and  especially  the 
Court  of  Honour  of  the  Royal  Palace,  were  fairy- 
like. From  sumptuous  palace  to  modest  cottage, 
joy  and  gaiety  pervaded  all  classes  of  society. 
Munich  thus  evinced  the  enthusiasm  excited 
among  her  people  by  the  alliance  of  the  Royal 
House  of  Wittelsbach  with  the  Imperial  House 
of  France. 

The  expression,  "  Imperial  House  of  France," 
was  a  just  one;  for  forty-eight  hours  after  the 
marriage,  Napoleon  recognised  Eugene  as  his 
adopted  son.  He  gave  him  the  name  of  Eugene 
Napoleon  of  France.  From  that  moment  Napo- 
leon, writing  to  Eugene,  no  longer  called  him 
"  My  Cousin,"  but  "  My  Son." 

Joined  to  the  affection  which  Napoleon  felt  for 
Eugene,  the  esteem  which  the  admirable  qualities 
of  the  young  wife  called  forth  soon  sealed  a  close 
and  tender  friendship  between  the  Vice-Queen  and 
the  Emperor.  Napoleon,  during  the  first  years 
of  their  marriage,  wrote  the    Princess  Augusta 

f 
5434 


32  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

several  letters,  which  testified  to  the  closeness  of 
this  tie.  I  will,  before  continuing  my  story,  quote 
a  few  of  them. 

Two  days  after  the  departure  of  the  young 
couple,  he  wrote  them  from  Stuttgart:  — 

My  Daughter,  —  The  letter  which  I  have  just  re- 
ceived from  you  is  as  charming  as  you  are  yourself. 
The  sentiments  which  I  have  confessed  to  you  grow 
stronger  every  day.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  recall  all 
your  beautiful  traits,  and  I  feel  the  need  of  being  assured 
by  yourself  frequently  that  you  are  content  in  your  new 
life  and  happy  with  your  husband.  In  the  midst  of  my 
busy  life,  my  greatest  pleasure  shall  be  the  assurance 
of  my  children's  happiness.  Believe  me  when  I  say, 
Augusta,  that  I  love  you  as  a  father,  and  that  I  hope  you 
entertain  for  me  all  the  tenderness  of  a  daughter.  Take 
care  of  yourself  on  your  journey,  as  also  in  the  new 
climate  to  which  you  are  going,  by  taking  as  much 
repose  as  possible.  Remember  you  have  passed  through 
much  excitement  this  past  month,  and  I  am  anxious 
that  you  should  not  become  ill. 

I  conclude,  my  dear  daughter,  sending  you  my 
paternal  blessing. 

IX. 

Baron  Darnay  draws  an  attractive  picture  of 
the  fetes  which  welcomed  Eugene  and  his  wife 
to  Italy.      It  can  be  thus  seen  that  the  joy  of 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         33 

the  Italian  people  was  equal  to  that  of  the  King 
of  Bavaria's  subjects. 

"The  Viceroy  and  Queen  [he  writes],  on  leaving 
their  carriage,  found  a  delegation  of  twelve  members  of 
the  nobility  of  Venice  awaiting  them  on  the  shores  of  the 
first  lagoon.  They  had  accompanied  the  gondola  set 
apart  for  the  transportation  of  the  royal  couple,  with  the 
others  destined  for  the  officers  of  the  Court.  Two  other 
gondolas  of  smaller  dimensions  followed  in  the  suite. 
That  of  their  Royal  Highnesses  was  ornamented  with  all 
that  oriental  luxury  could  suggest  Silken  stuffs,  gold, 
silver,  embroideries,  plumes,  were  used  in  rare  profusion ; 
superb  tapestries  covered  the  tables  and  the  chairs ; 
flowers  and  perfumes  were  scattered  everywhere.  The 
gondoliers,  dressed  in  gaily  coloured  silks,  propelled 
this  sumptuous  vessel  with  majestic  motion.  The  other 
two  gondolas,  equally  enriched  with  silken  hangings  and 
ornaments,  moved  slowly  along  on  either  side  of  the 
first.  Thousands  of  smaller  boats,  newly  and  beauti- 
fully decorated,  circulated  around  these  vessels ;  several 
carried  musicians  who  filled  the  air  with  strains  of  tri- 
umphant music.  These  long  and  graceful  gondolas, 
each  manned  with  a  dozen  gondoliers  and  decorated 
with  multi-coloured  silks,  shooting  in  and  out  swiftly  and 
lightly;  the  noise  of  drums  and  cymbals,  mingling  with 
the  roar  of  cannons ;  the  exclamations  of  welcome  and 
joy,  —  made  the  scene,  during  the  passage  of  the  royal 
couple  to  the  palace,  a  never-to-be-forgotten  one.  .  .  . 

"  On  their  arrival  at  Milan,  the  Viceroy  and  Queen 
found  their  route  bordered  by  troops  in  full  regalia; 
vol.  1.  —  3 


34         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

superb  regiments  of  French  and  Italian  cavalry  stood  in 
readiness  to  receive  the  royal  couple,  and  extended  far 
into  the  distance.  Further  on,  the  Guard  of  Honour  and 
the  Royal  Guard  shone  in  all  the  splendour  of  full 
dress,  and  regimental  bands  were  placed  here  and  there. 
The  cannon's  roar,  mingled  with  that  of  church  bells, 
elegant  equipages,  jewelled  women,  cavaliers,  and  an 
immense  concourse  of  people  in  holiday  attire  filled  the 
air  with  their  cheers  and  greetings.  Such  was  the 
homage  and  respect  which  surrounded  the  vice-regal 
couple's  carriage  to  the  Oriental  Gate,  through  which 
they  must  pass  to  enter  Milan." 

As  an  example  of  Eugene's  modesty  and  his 
aversion  to  everything  approaching  exaggerated 
adulation  and  flattery,  Darnay  cites  a  little  inci- 
dent which  happened  during  these  fetes,  in  the 
course  of  a  gala  representation :  — 

"  The  interior  of  the  stage  represented  Olympia, 
through  which  the  illustrious  couple  were  supposed  to 
pass,  presented  to  the  public  by  two  genii.  At  their 
appearance  the  actors  prostrated  themselves.  The  Vice- 
roy was  much  hurt  at  such  an  attitude,  and  sent  word 
by  a  chamberlain  that  such  actions  were  reserved  for  a 
gracious  Providence,  and  not  for  simple  mortals." 

Fifteen  days  later  the  Emperor  sent  advices  to 
the  Princess  Augusta  so  paternally  affectionate 
that  you  could  hardly  find  a  better  proof  of  the 
jleep  impression  which   the   refined  nature  and 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         35 

charming  personality  of  the  new  Vice-Queen  had 
made  upon  him,  from  the  first  moment  he  had 
Aseen  her:  — 

My  Daughter,  —  It  was  with  pleasure  that  I  learned 
of  your  arrival  in  Italy,  and  that  you  were  well  enough 
to  make  the  still  longer  journey  to  Venice  without  inter- 
ruption. But  what  pleased  me  most  was  to  learn  from 
your  letter  the  assurance  of  your  great  happiness.  I 
take  a  real  interest  in  your  life,  as  you  must  surely  know, 
and  I  am  not  mistaken  in  hoping  that  you  will  be  happy 
with  Eugene.  Believe  me,  that  had  I  not  been  con- 
vinced of  this  fact,  I  would  from  the  moment  of  making 
your  acquaintance  have  sacrificed  my  political  interests 
to  your  welfare.  Your  letter,  my  dear  Augusta,  is  filled 
with  those  delicate  sentiments  which  seem  to  belong  to 
you.  I  have  ordered  a  little  library  for  you.  Perfect 
your  education  by  reading  a  great  many  good  books. 
I  hope  the  Empress  will  send  you  the  fashions,  and  that 
you  will  tell  me  what  I  can  send  you  to  assure  you  that 
I  am  always  thinking  of  you,  and  what  will  be  agreeable 
to  you  and  Eugene.  Take  good  care  of  yourself:  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  sickness  here ;  I  do  not  know  if  there 
is  much  in  Italy.  In  ending,  my  daughter,  I  recommend 
my  people  and  my  soldiers  to  your  care.  Let  your 
purse  always  be  open  to  the  wives  and  children  of  the 
latter.  You  can  do  nothing  which  will  touch  my  heart 
quicker  than  that. 

I  give  you  my  blessing,  my  dear  child. 

It  is  only  necessary  to  read  the  following  lines 
to  see  how  enraptured  was  Napoleon  with  the 


36         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

young  couple,  upon  whom  from  the  first  days  of 
their  union  no  cloud,  however  slight,  had  come 
to  disturb  their  perfect  happiness. 

Ten  days  after  the  foregoing  letter  he  wrote: 

My  Daughter,  —  I  sent  you  my  portrait  as  a  proof 
of  my  esteem  and  love.  I  received  your  last  letter.  I 
have  listened  with  great  pleasure  to  all  the  good  things 
which  have  been  said  about  you.  I  imagine  that  you 
have  received  your  wedding  presents  before  this ;  at  the 
same  time  I  sent  you  a  little  library.  Tell  Eugene  how 
much  I  love  him,  and  how  happy  I  am  to  hear  of  your 
reciprocal  happiness. 

Receive  my  benediction,  my  dear  child. 

There  is  not  a  letter  written  by  Napoleon  to 
Eugene  on  strictest  business,  but  in  which  some 
words  of  tenderness  for  his  daughter-in-law  are 
found.  These  expressions  are  often  so  intimate 
in  their  kindness  as  to  be  imbued  with  a  loving 
meaning  entirely  their  own.  Such,  for  example, 
is  this  postscript  to  a  letter  in  which  he  announces 
his  arrival  at  Stuttgart:  — 

P.  S.  Two  kisses  to  the  Princess  Augusta,  —  one 
from  me,  the  other  from  the  Empress. 

And  this  one  from  Paris  :  — 

A  thousand  loving  words  to  the  Princess.  I  am  glad 
to  learn  that  she  sustained  the  journey  [into  Italy]  so 
well;   tell  her  how  much  I  love  her. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         37 

Six  months  later,  Napoleon,  in  his  constant 
anxiety  to  see  the  women  of  France  bear  future 
soldiers  for  their  country,  wrote  the  following 
lines  to  Augusta:  — 

My  Daughter,  —  I  read  your  letter  of  the  10th  of 
August  with  much  pleasure,  and  I  thank  you  for  all  the 
amiable  wishes  contain«d  therein.  You  are  right  in 
counting  implicitly  on  my  sentiments;  take  care  of 
yourself  in  your  present  condition,  and  try  not  to  give 
us  a  girl.  I  will  give  you  a  recipe  for  that,  though  you 
may  not  believe  me ;  "  that  is,  to  drink  a  little  pure  wine 
every  day."  Affairs  are  arranging  themselves  satisfac- 
torily, and  I  hope  to  be  able  to  send  you  in  a  few  days 
instructions  for  your  voyage  with  Eugene,  which  must 
be  made  slowly,  in  order  not  to  fatigue  you." 

To  this  paternal,  cordial  letter,  written  in  the 
grave  style  and  amiable  brevity  of  the  Emperor, 
followed  a  fervent  expression  of  maternal  love. 
The  following  is  a  letter  written  by  Josephine  to 
her  son,  shortly  after  his  marriage :  — 

"  As  your  destiny  becomes  greater,  my  son,  there  is 
no  necessity  for  your  soul  to  become  filled  with  pride. 
No  matter  to  what  height  you  may  attain,  I  know  that 
your  sentiments  are  higher  still.  Such  is  the  advantage 
a  man  has  who  makes  his  conscience  paramount  In 
this  you  are  the  worthy  son  of  one  whose  features, 
principles,  and  conduct  I  can  trace  in  you.  In  the 
abyss  of  misfortune,  he  did  not  so  much  show  courage 


38         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

as  display  all  his  honesty.  The  remembrance  of 
spotless  virtue  fortified  his  last  moments,  as  it  had 
served  to  illustrate  his  whole  life.  Your  destiny,  given 
over  to  greatness,  will  not  carry  you  away  if  you  do  not 
permit  it  to  corrupt  you.  In  the  midst  of  honours  and 
opulence,  remember  Fontainebleau,  where  you  were 
poor,  an  orphan,  and  forsaken ;  and  when  you  do  recall 
these  sad  days,  let  them  aid  you  to  extend  a  helping 
hand  to  the  unfortunate.  I  learn  with  great  satisfaction 
that  your  young  wife  shares  your  sentiments ;  it  is  a 
proof  that  she  also  shares  your  love ;  and  as  I  am  inter- 
ested in  all  that  concerns  her  as  well  as  you,  it  is  in  my 
role  of  mother  that  I  rejoice  with  you.  In  this  same 
role  I  embrace  both  of  you." 

I  have  thus  presented  to  my  reader  this  bril- 
liant couple  destined  to  give  to  the  world  a  rare 
example  of  all  the  family  virtues  on  a  throne. 
We  are  now  about  to  follow  them  step  by  step  in 
their  too  short  Court  career,  drawing  attention 
in  advance  to  the  mutual  proofs  of  tenderness 
and  boundless  devotion  which  these  two  lavished 
on  each  other  until  the  day  death  came  to  divide 
them. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Mutual  Affection  of  Husband  and  Wife.  —  Their  Popularity 
in  Italy.  —  Eugene  as  a  Patron  of  Arts  and  Sciences.  — 
Napoleon  advises  him  to  amuse  himself  more.  —  Admirable 
Results  of  his  Administration.  —  Satisfaction  of  the  Emperor. 
He  Names  Eugene  Heir  Presumptive  to  the  Crown  of  Italy. 

I. 

WE  have  seen  how  the  Princess  Augusta, 
betrothed  at  first  for  State  reasons,  learned 
to  esteem  and  finally  to  love  her  husband  devot- 
edly. As  to  Eugene,  his  young  wife  soon  in- 
spired him  with  a  deep  affection,  not  only  by  her 
beauty,  but  also  by  her  admirable  qualities.  In 
the  midst  of  her  Court,  surrounded  by  the  French 
and  Italian  ladies  who  composed  it,  she  attracted 
all  eyes  by  the  brilliancy  of  her  charms  and  the 
dignity  of  her  carriage.  Eugene  hastened  to 
assure  Napoleon  of  the  perfect  happiness  he  had 
found  in  this  union:  — 

"  I  am  happy,  Sire,  in  the  companionship  of  the 
beloved  spouse  your  paternal  tenderness  has  bestowed 
upon  me :  she  is  sweet,  amiable,  and  good ;  she  is  more- 


40         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

over  grateful  for  the  benefits  received  from  you  ;  and  her 
happiness  will  be  complete  if  she  continues  to  be  worthy 
of  your  favours." 

A  contemporary,  in  a  position  to  see  what 
passed  in  the  inner  life  of  the  husband  and  wife, 
says,  — 

"  The  Viceroy  and  Queen  had  never  met  before  their 
marriage,  but  they  soon  loved  as  though  they  had  known 
each  other  for  years.  No  two  people  were  ever  better 
mated.  There  has  never  been  a  Princess,  or  in  truth  any 
mother,  who  has  more  tenderly  cared  for  her  children. 
She  was  born  to  serve  as  a  model  for  all  women.  An 
incident  in  this  charming  woman's  life  was  told  me 
which  I  cannot  resist  citing  here.  One  of  her  daughters, 
while  still  a  child,  had  replied  in  a  very  rude  manner  to 
a  lady's  maid.  Her  Serene  Highness,  the  Vice-Queen, 
was  told  of  the  circumstance,  and,  to  give  her  daughter 
a  lesson,  she  forbade  any  of  the  household  to  perform 
any  service  for  the  young  Princess  or  to  comply  with 
her  demands.  The  child  was  not  long  in  coming  to  her 
mother  to  complain  of  this  treatment.  The  latter  in  a 
grave  manner  told  her  that,  when  she  was  so  depending 
upon  the  services  and  cares  of  every  one  around  her, 
she  must  learn  to  merit  and  recognise  them  by  kindness 
and  politeness.  She  made  her  promise  to  apologise  to 
the  maid  and  to  speak  kindly  in  the  future,  assuring  her 
that  she  would  thus  obtain  any  reasonable  and  just 
demand.  Her  daughter  obeyed,  and  the  lesson  profited 
her  so  well  that  she  afterwards  became,  if  the  voice  of 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         4 1 

public  opinion  can  be  believed,  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished Princesses  of  Europe.  The  fame  of  her  perfec- 
tions extended  even  to  the  new  world.  She  is  to-day,  I 
think,  Her  Majesty,  the  Empress  of  Brazil." 

Augusta  herself  loved  to  assure  Napoleon  of 
the  great  affection  she  bore  the  husband  whom 
he  had  given  her,  and  she  often  wrote  letters  in 
this  strain  to  the  Emperor.  A  reply  of  his  (1807) 
is  here  quoted :  — 

My  Daughter,  —  Your  letter  has  been  received,  and 
I  note  with  the  greatest  pleasure  the  sentiments  which 
you  express  towards  the  Prince.  It  has  been  a  cause  of 
much  joy  to  me  to  learn  that  you  are  perfectly  happy. 
I  know  that  you  have  suffered  much,  and  that  you  have 
shown  courage  under  your  trials. 

Your  very  affectionate  father. 

The  conjugal  happiness  of  which  the  Princess 
writes,  and  in  which  Napoleon  rejoices  in  his 
turn,  was  not  destined  to  be  of  many  years'  dura- 
tion. But  at  least  it  was  cloudless,  and  would 
have  been  untroubled  but  for  the  formidable 
events  of  this  period  unique  in  history. 


42         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

II. 

The  extract  from  Darnay  s  book  which  I  have 
quoted  elsewhere  shows  how  triumphal  was  the 
young  couple's  journey  across  Italy,  and  how 
enthusiastically  the  people  received  their  future 
sovereigns. 

The  radiant  beauty,  youth,  and  freshness,  and 
the  exquisite  and  adorable  kindness  of  the  young 
Princess  captured  all  hearts.  As  to  Eugene,  he 
had  already  proved  his  merit.  The  people  expe- 
rienced his  devotion  in  the  zeal  with  which  he 
knew  how  to  defend  the  interests  of  his  adopted 
country,  and  his  energy  in  favouring  all  that  could 
contribute  to  Italy's  prosperity.  He  had  thus 
become  very  popular.  This  did  not  deter  him 
from  giving  new  proofs  of  his  capacity  and 
watchfulness,  as  well  as  of  his  devotion  to  the 
Emperor. 

He  had  hardly  reached  Milan  before  he  gave 
himself  up  so  arduously  to  his  work  that  Napo- 
leon —  who,  by  the  way,  was  not  afraid  of  too 
much  work  for  himself  or  others  —  thought  it 
necessary  to  put  a  check  on  the  ambitious  young 
man  by  this  affectionate  reprimand :  — 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         43 

My  Son,  —  You  work  too  hard ;  your  life  is  too  monot- 
onous. This  is  not  good  for  you ;  your  work  should  be  a 
relaxation  for  you ;  but  you  have  a  young  wife,  and  I 
think  you  should  arrange  to  pass  the  evening  with  her, 
and  gather  some  society  around  you.  Why  do  you  not 
go  to  the  theatre  once  a  week,  and  make  use  of  the 
Royal  Box?  I  think  you  should  also  have  a  hunting- 
lodge,  so  that  you  could  hunt  at  least  once  a  week ;  I 
would  willingly  add  a  sufficient  sum  to  your  budget  for 
this  purpose.  You  must  have  more  gaiety  in  your 
household;  it  is  necessary  for  your  wife's  happiness 
and  for  your  own  health.  If  properly  managed,  a  great 
deal  of  work  can  be  done  in  a  short  time.  I  lead  the 
life  you  do ;  but  I  have  an  old  wife,  who  does  not  need 
me  to  amuse  her,  and  I  also  have  more  business  to 
attend  to.  And  yet  I  must  say  that  I  take  more  pleas- 
ure and  dissipation  out  of  life  than  you  do.  A  young 
wife  must  be  amused.  You  liked  pleasure  well  enough 
formerly.  You  must  return  to  your  former  tastes ;  and 
what  you  will  not  do  for  your  own  sake,  you  must  do 
for  that  of  the  Princess. 

These  last  two  days  I  have  spent  with  Marshal 
Bessieres ;  we  have  played  together  like  boys  of  fifteen. 
You  used  to  rise  early  in  the  morning ;  you  must  take 
that  habit  up  again.  This  will  not  disturb  the  Princess. 
If  you  retire  at  eleven  and  finish  your  work  at  six  in  the 
evening,  you  have  ten  hours  for  working  by  rising  at 
seven  or  eight. 

Eugene  evidently  paid  but  little  attention  to 
Napoleon's  advice  not  to  overwork  himself.     The 


44         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Emperor  returns  to  the  subject  again,  and  this 
time  points  out  grave  reasons  for  obeying  his 
commands  on  the  working  question,  as  it  no 
longer  concerns  himself  alone :  — 

My  Son,  —  I  wrote  you  a  short  time  ago,  advising  a 
hunting-lodge.  It  is  very  important  that  the  Italian  no- 
bility should  accustom  themselves  to  riding  horseback ; 
the  exercise  and  the  fatigue  can  only  be  for  their  advan- 
tage. It  is  a  great  deal  better  for  them  to  take  this 
pastime  than  to  be  dallying  around  the  ladies  all  the 
time.  Besides,  this  relaxation  is  absolutely  necessary 
for  you. 

It  is  a  rare  thing  for  a  father-in-law  to  write  to 
a  daughter-in-law,  especially  if  the  latter  is  young, 
beautiful,  and  captivating,  reproaching  her  for 
leading  too  exemplary  a  life.  This  was  Napo- 
leon's case,  however.  He  wrote  to  the  Vice- 
Queen,  during  the  summer  following  her  mar- 
riage, and  when  Eugene  was  obliged  to  be  absent 
frequently, — 

My  Daughter,  —  I  can  conceive  the  solitude  which 
must  be  yours,  all  alone  in  Lombardy ;  but  Eugene  will 
soon  return,  and  you  never  know  how  much  you  love  a 
person  until  you  meet  the  loved  one  again  after  an 
absence,  —  as  we  never  appreciate  our  good  health  until 
we  have  lost  it. 

It  is  necessary  in  many  ways  that  you  should  have 
company  and  amuse  yourself. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         45 

All  the  news  which  comes  to  me  from  Italy  tells  me 
that  you  lead  too  quiet  a  life.  I  am  always  happy  to 
obtain  news  of  you,  and  I  inquire  of  every  one  returning 
from  your  Court  It  is  very  pleasing  to  me  to  learn 
that  every  one  considers  you  perfect. 

Even  during  the  rapid  campaign  in  Russia, 
which  terminated  in  the  famous  victory  of  Jena, 
Napoleon  found  time  to  address  a  few  loving 
notes  to  the  Vice-Queen,  such  as  this,  dated 
from  Berlin :  — 

My  Daughter,  —  I  received  your  letter.  You  do 
wrong  to  think  that  I  could  forget  you.  You  know  how 
much  I  love  and  esteem  you.  In  all  circumstances 
which  may  present  themselves,  you  will  have  proofs 
which  can  leave  no  doubt  in  your  mind. 

Believe  in  my  constant  desire  to  do  everything  that  is 
pleasing  to  you. 

In  another  note  he  returns  to  his  pressing 
admonitions  that  she  should  lead  a  gayer  life : 

My  Daughter,  —  I  received  your  letter.  I  read  it 
with  the  same  pleasure  which  I  take  in  everything  which 
comes  from  you.  Try  to  be  gayer  and  take  more  recre- 
ation than  you  do  now.     It  is  necessary  at  your  age. 

Eugene  continued,  in  the  mean  time,  to  give 
himself  up  to  his  absorbing  occupations  with  an 
indefatigable  assiduity,  as  this  extract  from  Baron 
Darnay  shows :  — 


46         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"Nothing  which  appertained  to  the  Minister  of  War, 
to  the  direct  orders  of  the  Emperor,  to  his  correspon- 
dence, ever  left  his  cabinet;  simple  extracts  from  these 
letters  were  sent  to  the  Chancellor,  which  touched  upon 
business  matters  concerning  him.  The  Prince  worked 
not  less  than  ten  or  twelve  hours  a  day." 

Each  day  a  special  courier  set  out  from  Paris 
for  Milan,  and  in  less  than  ninety  hours  bore 
the  Emperor's  despatches  to  Eugene,  and  with 
equal  celerity  carried  those  of  the  Viceroy  to 
Napoleon.  It  was  necessary  to  re-organise  every- 
thing in  this  new  kingdom,  —  the  army,  adminis- 
tration, tribunals,  customs,  and  departments  of  all 
kinds.  The  impulse  given  by  the  Viceroy  was 
so  powerful  that  in  six  months  after  his  arrival 
Milan  was  so  totally  changed  as  to  be  unrecog- 
nisable. Activity  reigned  on  all  sides,  industries 
were  making  rapid  strides,  and  the  pomp  and 
luxury  so  dear  to  Italian  hearts  were  the  order  of 
the  day.  Although  Napoleon  scolded,  he  was 
well  content,  and  he  never  ceased  to  give  expres- 
sion to  his  satisfaction  with  the  Viceroy  and  his 
affection  for  him.  He  conferred  the  Order  of 
the  Iron  Crown  upon  him  some  little  time  after 
his  marriage.  In  reply  to  Eugene's  letter  of 
recognition  for  this  favour,  he  wrote:  — 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         47 

My  Son,  —  I  am  delighted  to  know  that  the  decora- 
tion of  the  Order  of  the  Iron  Crown,  which  I  sent  you, 
has  pleased  you.  I  am  happy  circumstances  are  such 
that  I  can  give  you  these  proofs  of  my  love.  I  can 
add  nothing  to  the  feelings  I  bear  for  you ;  my  heart 
knows  nothing  dearer  than  you.  These  sentiments  are 
unchangeable. 

Every  time  I  see  you  show  evidence  of  talent,  or 
hear  something  to  your  credit,  my  heart  is  filled  with 
satisfaction. 

Eugene,  who  always  exhibited  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  his  new  kingdom  a  wise  and  enlight- 
ened moderation  and  an  extreme  watchfulness 
over  his  subordinates  and  subjects,  at  the  same 
time  gave  ample  proof  of  an  energetic  dignity 
worthy  of  the  great  man  whom  he  represented. 

When  his  enemies  endeavoured  to  effect  the 
landing  of  Anglo-Russian  troops  on  the  shores 
of  Italy,  Eugene  defeated  these  plans  by  a  series 
of  measures  so  prompt  and  firm  that  Napoleon, 
upon  learning  of  them,  cried  out  anew,  as  he  had 
already  done  on  the  battle-field  of  Austerlitz :  "  I 
well  knew  into  whose  hands  I  had  confided  my 
sword  in  Italy!" 


48         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 


III. 

It  was  at  this  time,  during  this  marvellous 
epoch,  that  Napoleon  seemed  to  fly  from  one 
victory  to  another. 

This  is  the  proud  bulletin  he  sent  to  Eugene, 
after  the  battle  of  Jena,  in  which  the  Prussians 
were  overwhelmingly  defeated :  — 

My  Son,  —  The  army  of  the  King  of  Prussia  no 
longer  exists.  The  entire  army  at  Jena  (160,000  men) 
have  been  killed,  wounded,  or  taken  prisoners.  Not  one 
man  crossed  the  Oder.  I  am  master  of  their  strong- 
holds, Spandau  and  Stettin;  my  troops  are  on  the 
borders  of  Poland.  The  King  of  Prussia  is  across  the 
Vistula.  Barely  10,000  men  remain  to  him.  I  am 
pretty  well  satisfied  with  the  people  of  Berlin.  I  send 
you  the  different  decrees  which  you  need.  The  four 
regiments  of  cuirassiers  should  have  set  out  ere  this. 
Let  me  know  when  they  reach  the  Danube. 

And  so  this  letter,  written  at  the  beginning 
of  the  new  year,  expressed  his  unceasing  desire 
to  see  the  Vice-Queen  give  an  heir  to  France 
who  would  become  a  Prince  and  a  soldier  in  the 
future :  — 

My  Daughter,  —  For  love  of  you,  I  have  given 
orders  that  the  members  of  the  House  of  Strelitz  shall 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         49 

be  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration.     Your  grand-  ^ 

mother  is  very  quiet.  Your  aunt,  the  Queen  of  Prus-  \jr 
sia,  on  the  other  hand,  was  very  unruly ;  but  she  is  so 
unhappy  to-day  that  it  is  unjust  to  speak  against  her. 
I  hope  to  hear  from  you  soon  that  you  have  a  fine  boy; 
but,  if  you  give  me  a  daughter,  I  pray  that  she  may  be 
as  amiable  and  as  good  as  you  are. 


Napoleon's  apprehensions  were  well  founded. 
A  daughter  was  born  on  March  14,  1807,  and 
received,  among  others,  the  names  of  Maximili- 
enne  Eugenie.  The  Viceroy  sent  one  of  his 
equerries  to  Paris,  to  announce  the  birth  of  her 
grand-daughter  to  Josephine. 

Notwithstanding  his  absorbing  anxieties  in  his 
operations  against  Prussia  and  Russia,  Napoleon 
found  time  to  inquire  for  the  health  of  the  Prin- 
cess. As  soon  as  the  news  of  the  child's  birth 
was  made  known  to  him,  he  indicated  by  letter 
to  Eugene  his  desire  that  the  baby  should 
receive  a  name  dear  to  them  both.  Surely  no 
order  could  have  been  easier  to  execute :  — 

My  Son,  —  I  congratulate  you  on  the  Princess's  ac- 
couchement. I  am  impatient  to  learn  that  she  is  well 
and  out  of  danger,  and  I  hope  that  your  daughter  will 
be  as  good  and  amiable  as  her  mother.  It  is  a  duty 
with  you  to  endeavour  to  have  a  son  next  year.  The 
means  you  have  taken  to  record  the  child's  birth  are 
vol.  1.  —  4 


^ 


50         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

very  satisfactory.  The  Master  of  Seals  must  be  in- 
structed to  send  the  papers  to  Paris,  to  be  recorded  in 
my  family  register.  Have  them  addressed  to  M.  Cam- 
baceres,  to  whom  I  have  made  my  wishes  known.  Have 
iy^^  the  little  girl  called  Josephine. 

The  Princess  Augusta  was  too  near  Napoleon's 
heart,  too  intimately  one  of  his  chosen  family,  not 
to  tender  him  a  filial  affection  in  his  sorrows  as 
well  as  his  joys.  Thus  at  the  time  of  the  death 
of  the  Queen  of  Holland's  young  son,  upon  whose 
frail  head  Napoleon  had  for  one  moment  thought 
of  placing  his  own  heavy  crown,  the  Vice-Queen 
wrote  a  deeply  affecting  letter  to  Napoleon.  The 
Emperor  replied  from  the  spot  which  marked  the 
summit  of  his  greatness,  —  Tilsit :  — 

My  Daughter,  —  I  received  your  letter  of  June  2d. 
I  thank  you  for  your  kind  words  relative  to  little  Napo- 
leon. His  mother  is  very  unreasonable  and  mourns  too 
deeply;  we  must  have  courage,  and  learn  to  resign  our- 
selves to  the  inevitable.  I  am  very  anxious  to  see  little 
Josephine,  and  hope  that  she  resembles  her  mother. 

Eugene  bitterly  regretted  not  having  been  able 
to  take  any  part  in  the  victories  of  Austerlitz  and 
Jena.  Urgent  and  exceptionally  useful  as  was 
his  role  of  Governor  in  Italy,  he  was  disconsolate 
at  being  kept  away  from  these  battle-fields.     But 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         51 

he  was  consoled  at  finding  himself  the  father  of  a 
charming  little  daughter,  and  by  the  intense  satis- 
faction which  Napoleon  showed  when,  towards  the 
end  of  the  year,  he  visited  Milan  to  witness  the 
excellent  results  of  the  Viceroy's  incessant  labours. 
The  Emperor  was  so  entirely  content  with  the 
admirable  organisation  to  which  Eugene  had 
brought  his  kingdom  in  so  short  a  time,  that  he 
publicly  announced,  in  default  of  a  legitimate  or 
natural  heir,  that  Eugene  should  be  his  successor 
to  the  Crown  of  Italy.  This  was  when  conferring 
on  him  the  title  of  the  Prince  of  Venice. 

The  incoming  of  the  New  Year  furnishing 
Eugene  with  an  opportunity  to  thank  Napoleon, 
the  latter  sent  with  the  following  despatch  the 
gift  dearest  to  the  heart  of  a  soldier:  — 

January  3,  1808. 
My  Son,  —  I  thank  you  for  your  New  Year's  letter. 
I  send  you,  as  a  New  Year's  gift,  a  sword  which  I  carried 
on  the  battle-fields  in  Italy.  I  hope  it  will  bring  you 
good  luck,  and  that  you  will  use  it  with  glory  if  the 
circumstances  ever  oblige  you  to  draw  it  in  defence  of 
your  country. 

Eugene's  work  had  been  well  worthy  of  Napo- 
leon's approbation.  When  the  Kingdom  of  Italy 
had  been  created,  its  army  barely  consisted  of 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  men.     Now  the 


CATHOLIC  WGM  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 
SANTA  BAttBARA,  CALIFORNIA 


1/ 


52  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

government  had  by  diligence  brought  the  num- 
ber up  to  fifty  thousand  men,  well  disciplined  and 
ready  to  march  upon  the  enemy. 

Eugene  had  also  effected  miracles  in  his  ad- 
ministration of  the  finances.  Notwithstanding 
the  great  works  of  public  utility  and  embellish- 
ment which  he  had  undertaken,  he  economised 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Italian  treasury  to  the  sum 
of  ten  or  twelve  millions  a  year,  merely  because 
he  set  himself  the  task  of  preventing  fraud  and 
wastefulness.  His  rigorous  honesty  earned  for 
him,  as  we  shall  see  later,  the  hatred  and  calumny 
of  powerful  enemies. 

About  the  end  of  1808,  the  Princess  gave  birth 
to  a  second  daughter,  who  later  became  Princess 
de  Hohenzollern.  A  few  days  later,  December 
31,  1808,  Eugene,  in  renewing,  as  was  his  habit, 
his  "  absolute  devotion  "  to  Napoleon,  could  not 
restrain  this  cry  of  a  soldier  condemned  to  the 
inaction  of  peace  when  he  burned  with  impatience 
to  shine  once  more  on  the  battle-field :  — 

"  My  life  is  entirely  at  the  service  of  Your  Majesty ;  and 
I  find,  to  my  great  regret,  that  it  is  worth  so  little  to  you, 
since  for  so  long  a  time  it  has  been  of  so  little  use." 

This  noble  consecration  was  soon  to  be  accepted. 


CHAPTER   III. 

The  Campaign  of  1809.  —  Mobilisation  of  the  Army  of  Italy 
under  the  Command  of  Eugene.  —  His  Private  Correspond- 
ence with  the  Princess.  —  Italy  Invaded.  —  A  Defeat  —  Bul- 
letins of  Victory.  —  Pursuing  the  Enemy.  —  March  upon 
Bruck.  —  Campaign  in  Hungary.  —  Eugene  wins  the  Dazzling 
Victory  of  Raab.  —  Triumphal  Return  to  Milan. 

I. 

FOR  some  time  Napoleon  had  been  preparing 
the  plans  for  a  new  campaign,  and  Eugene 
was  called  upon  to  take  a  most  active  part  in  it. 
Austria  had  fermented  a  national  revolt  among 
the  fanatical  inhabitants  of  the  Tyrol.  By  incit- 
ing an  uprising  of  the  excitable  students  of  the 
celebrated  Union  de  la  Vertue  (Tugenbund),  she 
had  endeavoured  to  stir  against  Napoleon  all 
Germany's  young  blood,  at  that  time  filled  with  a 
patriotic  enthusiasm,  and  inspired  with  a  horror 
of  the  French  yoke. 

Austria  pretended  to  act  in  this  war,  not  in 
defence  of  her  rights,  but  as  the  liberator  of 
Europe. 


54  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

When  war  was  declared,  the  Viceroy,  for  the 
first  time  acting  as  commander-in-chief,  sent  forth 
from  Udine,  where  he  had  taken  command  of  his 
troops,  an  energetic  proclamation  to  his  army.  I 
will  merely  cull  this  extract  as  an  example  of 
military  eloquence:  — 

"  Generals,  officers,  and  soldiers,  you  hold  the  title  of 
the  Army  of  Italy.  Is  there  need  for  me  to  say  more  to 
you?  Does  not  this  title  demand  of  you  a  repetition 
of  the  great  deeds  which  it  recalls?  For  a  long  time 
you  have  been  suffering  from  inactivity ;  but  thanks  to 
your  enemies,  the  day  of  glory  has  now  dawned  for 
you." 

This  proclamation  is  dated  the  ioth  of  April ; 
but  Eugene  had  already  quitted  Milan  on  the  4th 
of  the  same  month  to  take  command  of  the  army. 
The  day  after  his  departure,  at  seven  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  he  wrote  to  the  Vice-Queen  the  first 
of  a  long  series  of  private  correspondence,  filled 
with  most  tender  and  touching  sentiments. 

The  reading  of  these  letters,  in  which  is  de- 
picted  so  delicately  the  soul  of  so  lovable  a 
man  as  was  our  hero,  Eugene,  caused  me  a 
tender  emotion,  which  I  hope  will  be  shared  by 
my  readers.  It  is,  so  to  speak,  a  romance  of 
love,  enclosed  in  the  midst  of  the  most  startling 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  55 

changes  of  fortune  known  to  history,  which  I  will 
endeavour  to  place  before  your  eyes. 

Here  is  the  first  letter.  You  can  perceive  with 
what  ardour  the  Prince  at  once  set  about  perform- 
ing his  duties.  Arduous  though  they  were,  they 
did  not  prevent  him  from  frequently  repeating  his 
sentiments  toward  his  loved  ones:  — 

Verona,  April  5,  1809. 

I  arrived  at  the  gates  of  Verona  two  hours  after  noon, 
my  dear,  good  Augusta,  and  I  at  once  mounted  my 
horse  to  pass  the  troops  in  review ;  afterwards  I  visited 
the  arsenal,  and  had  hardly  returned  here  before  I 
received  a  delegation  of  the  city  authorities.  I  am 
about  to  sit  down  to  table ;  it  is  seven  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  After  dinner  I  shall  take  a  carriage  and  set 
out  for  Trente  and  Lavis.  I  cannot  tell  if  to-morrow 
will  be  sufficient  to  enable  me  to  inspect  this  part  of  the 
country.  We  are  having  it  very  cold  here.  Last  night 
I  did  not  close  an  eye.  Would  you  believe  it,  we  found 
snow  at  Brescia,  and  that  to-day,  during  my  review,  we 
stood  in  it  up  to  our  ankles?  There  are  three  inches 
on  the  ground  everywhere ;  it  is  really  extraordinary. 
I  hope  your  health  is  good,  my  dear  Augusta,  as  that 
of  our  little  flock.  I  have  scarcely  left  you  all,  and  yet  I 
am  anxious  to  see  you  again. 

Adieu,  my  darling  Augusta,  my  loving  wife;  you 
know,  I  hope,  my  sentiments  towards  you;  they  will 
never  change. 


56         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

The  next  day  Eugene  set  out  for  the  Tyrol, 
He  wished  to  satisfy  himself  of  the  reality  of 
these  insurgent  preparations,  to  reconnoitre  the 
ground  over  which  they  would  operate,  and,  above 
all,  to  find  a  good  road  for  his  artillery.  The 
second  letter,  written  two  days  after  the  first  one, 
gives  a  detailed  account  to  the  Princess  of  this 
fatiguing  expedition,  partly  made  on  foot:  — 

Verona,  April  7,  1809. 

My  dear  and  good  Augusta,  —  I  am  just  returned 
from  my  long  journey  into  the  Tyrol.  Since  I  wrote  you 
from  here,  —  that  is,  the  day  before  yesterday,  —  I  have 
travelled  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  in  carriage,  on 
horseback,  or  on  foot.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  snow 
in  the  mountains.  It  was  not  possible  for  me  to  keep  my 
incognito.  I  dined  at  the  inn,  with  the  principal  men  of 
the  county ;  three  of  them  were  Bavarians.  We,  as  you 
can  easily  understand,  spoke  of  you  ;  and,  as  you  can  also 
understand,  it  was  the  one  subject  which  afforded  me 
the  most  pleasure.  Interested  in  the  conversation,  I 
forgot  the  hour,  and  midnight  sounded  as  we  were  rising 
from  table.  I  set  out  to-night  for  Mestre ;  and  I  can 
only  stop  over  two  hours  at  Vicence  to  inspect  the 
troops. 

I  have  little  time  to  myself,  as  I  am  making  out  a  full 
report  for  His  Majesty  on  my  journey  through  the 
Tyrol.  I  must  draw  this  letter  to  a  close,  but  not  before 
expressing  all  my  sentiments  towards  you.     I  beg  you 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         57 

take  care  of  yourself  and  of  our  two  little  cherubs,  and  I 
embrace  all  three  as  I  love  you,  with  all  my  strength. 

Reaching  Mestre  at  four  o'clock,  it  was  not 
until  midnight,  when  his  companions  in  arms 
were  sleeping,  and  overcome  with  fatigue,  that  he 
could  spare  a  few  moments  to  send  news  of  him- 
self to  his  dear  absent  ones ;  and  he  wrote  in  the 
following  terms:  — 

Mestre,  April  8,  1809,  Midnight. 

I  can  only  write  you  a  few  lines,  my  dear  Augusta.  I 
passed  a  division  of  the  army  in  review  this  morning  at 
Vicence.  I  reached  here  at  four  o'clock,  and  immedi- 
ately mounted  my  horse  to  visit  the  fortifications.  On 
returning,  I  dined,  and  I  have  worked  unceasingly  until 
just  this  moment.  All  my  staff  are  dozing  and  snoring 
on  chairs  in  the  neighbouring  salon,  waiting  for  me  to 
get  into  my  carriage.  I  will  be  at  Udine  to-morrow 
evening;  there,  as  everywhere,  you  will  always  be  with 
me,  and  my  heart  and  my  time  are  really  divided  between 
my  work  and  the  pleasure  of  occupying  my  thoughts 
with  my  little  family. 

I  embrace  you  with  all  my  heart,  and  our  little  love- 
pledges  as  well. 

The  same  day  on  which  he  sent  out  his  noble 
proclamation  of  which  I  cited  an  extract  further 
back,  proud  of  the  fine  condition  of  his  men,  his 
heart  filled  with  a  manly  joy  and  confidence  in 


58  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

the  future,  Eugene  wrote  with  adoring  and  loving 
expressions,  and  in  a  delicately  charming  manner, 
sending  his  kisses  to  the  dear  ones  who  were  his 
whole  happiness.  He  thus  terminates  a  letter 
dated  from  Udine  (April  ioth):  — 

"Adieu,  my  good  and  tender  wife.  I  finish  with 
regret,  but  not  without  renewing  to  you  the  assurance 
of  all  my  love.  A  thousand  kisses  to  share  between  you 
and  our  little  ones.  You  will  tell  me  how  you  distributed 
them." 

Certain  severe  critics  may  perhaps  find  this 
way  of  expressing  his  affections  as  a  husband  and 
a  father  too  bourgeois.  But  I  hope  that  the 
greater  number  may,  like  myself,  find  these  letters 
most  sincere  and  touching.  They  are  the  true 
expression  of  a  pure  and  strong  love ;  and  that 
alone  is  sufficient  to  ennoble  them  and  to  endow 
them  with  real  interest. 

II. 

The  next  day,  April  9,  1809,  hostilities  being 
commenced,  the  Prince  hastened  to  re-assure  the 
Princess  in  these  affectionate  terms,  and  to  calm 
the  loving  uneasiness  which  he  foresaw  would  be 
hers :  — 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         59 

Udine,  April  9,  1809. 
Rest  perfectly  tranquil,  my  dear  and  well  beloved 
Augusta.  War  has  been  declared  since  yesterday 
morning,  and,  at  a  moment  when  least  expected,  our 
outposts  were  attacked;  I  am  gathering  my  troops 
together.  Do  not  allow  yourself  to  be  worried ;  I  hope 
we  shall  come  out  of  the  affair  in  good  shape.  In  spirit 
I  embrace  you. 

The  first  engagement  between  Eugene's  army 
and  the  Austrians  was  a  victory  for  the  Italians. 
From  the  battle-field,  the  young  Viceroy  sent 
these  few  rapidly  written  lines,  which  were  worthy 
of  being  signed  by  Bernais :  — 

April  12,  1809. 

You  have  doubtless  been  very  uneasy  during  the  last 
thirty-six  hours,  my  very,  very  dear  Augusta;  and  yet 
there  was  no  reason  for  it.  The  enemy  attacked  us  on 
all  sides  in  pretty  large  numbers.  The  Austrians  have 
lost  five  or  six  hundred  men,  and  we  have  taken  two 
hundred  prisoners. 

Good-by,  my  dear  one;  take  good  care  of  yourself 
and  my  little  ones,  and  do  not  be  frightened  about  me. 
A  thousand  kisses. 

The  first  pitched  battle,  fought  April  16,  at 
Sacile,  was,  frankly  speaking,  lost.  Eugene's 
generals,  marching  under  his  orders  for  the  first 
time,  felt  little  of  the  confidence  so  necessary 
towards   the  commander-in-chief,  in  this   young 


60         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

man  of  twenty-seven  years,  and  in  consequence 
failed  to  co-operate  as  they  should  have  done  with 
him.  The  Austrians,  it  is  true,  had  a  much 
better  organised  and  larger  army  than  that  put 
at  his  step-son's  disposal  by  Napoleon.  This 
oversight  on  his  part  was  due  to  the  fact  that  he 
had  no  thought  of  the  enemy  attacking  the  Ital- 
ian army  before  the  month  of  May.  Indeed,  this 
was  the  Prince's  debut  as  a  commander,  and  he 
had  his  own  personal  experience  to  acquire.  But 
all  these  excuses,  notwithstanding  their  legiti- 
macy, did  not  present  themselves  to  Eugene. 
For  him  this  defeat,  after  twelve  years  of  military 
services  commenced  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen 
years,  was,  to  his  mind,  a  humiliating  one,  and  he 
cried  out  in  anguish  that  never  was  there  a  battle 
so  completely  lost. 

He  was  soon  to  make  up  for  this  disaster  by  a 
series  of  brilliant  victories.  The  letter  written  to 
the  Princess  two  days  after  his  defeat  is  unfor- 
tunately lost,  but  in  the  following,  it  can  be  seen 
that  while  frankly  acknowledging  his  reverse,  he 
was  no  longer  overwhelmed  with  despair  as  to 
the  future  of  the  French  army,  and  that,  in  his 
unhappiness,  he  gave  more  thought  to  his  wife's 
fate  than  to  his  own:  — 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         6 1 

Trevise,  April  18,  1809,  Midday. 
When  I  wrote  you  yesterday,  my  dear  Augusta,  I  was 
in  despair,  because  I  had  before  my  eyes  the  recent 
complete  overthrow  of  our  army.  To-day  I  am  more 
tranquil,  and  I  have  regained  my  courage ;  the  enemy 
has  not  profited  by  his  advantages,  but  I  have  profited 
by  his  idiocy,  and  have  rallied  my  troops  together.  If 
the  news  from  the  Tyrol  is  good,  there  is  still  a  great 
deal  of  hope  for  us.  Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  rest 
tranquil.  If,  contrary  to  all  expectations,  the  enemy 
marches  from  the  Tyrol  upon  Verona  or  Brescia,  you 
must  at  once  take  steps  to  leave  Milan  and  go  to  Turin, 
even  as  far  as  Lyons,  if  necessary;  this  is  in  case  of 
anything  extraordinary  happening.  Adieu,  my  be- 
loved Augusta  I  tremble  for  your  health ;  I  am  afraid 
this  news  will  make  you  ill,  and  I  am  anxiously  awaiting 
a  reply  to  this. 

The  day  after  the  battle,  Eugene  had  not 
delayed  confessing  his  defeat  to  the  Emperor, 
without  offering  the  slightest  shadow  of  an  ex- 
cuse. "  As  it  became,"  he  wrote,  "  more  neces- 
sary every  day  to  open  out  on  the  enemy,  I 
fought  them  yesterday,  and  I  have  the  misfortune 
to  be  obliged  to  announce  to  Your  Majesty  that 
I  lost  the  battle." 

Then,  after  relating  the  circumstances,  he  added, 
anxious  to  take  all  blame  from  his  subordi- 
nates, — 


62         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"  It  may  appear  extraordinary,  but  it  is  nevertheless 
true  that  several  brave  deeds  were  performed  yesterday, 
and  that  our  corps  did  their  duty  nobly." 

Augusta,  true  to  her  charming  character,  wrote 
to  her  husband,  three  days  after  the  battle,  to  try 
and  console  him  for  his  defeat.  We  can  see  by 
the  following  how  Eugene  in  his  misfortune  was 
deeply  affected  by  this  proof  of  affection,  which, 
unfortunately,  we  are  unable  to  reproduce  here: 

Mestre,  April  20,  1809. 

Your  letter  of  the  19th  brought  tears  to  my  eyes,  my 
dear,  tender-hearted  Augusta ;  no  doubt  I  did  wrong  to 
give  way  to  my  disappointment,  but  when  I  wrote  you, 
even  a  ray  of  hope  was  denied  me.  It  seems  that 
Chasteler  is  marching  on  the  Tyrol;  he  has  already 
passed  Trente,  and  thus  I  am  obliged  to  return  to 
Adige.     The  army  will  be  there  two  days. 

The  courage  you  have  displayed  calms  my  troubled 
spirit,  and  you  well  merit  the  loving  sentiments  I  feel 
towards  you. 

With  a  charming  feminine  delicacy,  to  recall  to 
him  that  even  after  having  lost  a  battle  he  has  not 
lost  everything,  the  Princess  sends  him  her  por- 
trait.   Eugene  thanks  her  in  these  few  words : 

Trevise,  April  19,  1809. 
I  have  only  time  to  write  you  a  few  lines,  my  dear 
Augusta.    We  have  been  very  quiet  all  day;   our  spirits 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         63 

are  reviving,  and  we  already  see  a  remedy  ahead  of  us 
for  all  our  ills. 

I  send  a  thousand  kisses  to  yourself  and  our  two  little 
ones,  and  I  am  for  life  your  loving  and  faithful  husband. 

I  thank  you  for  your  portrait,  which  Lacroix  trans- 
mitted to  me  this  morning;  nothing  could  give  me 
greater  happiness  than  to  have  my  charming  little 
family  under  my  eyes. 

But  only  one  thing  will  bring  back  joy  to  the 
soldier's  heart,  and  that  is  a  victory.  His  only 
dream  is  to  be  able  soon  to  measure  his  forces 
with  the  enemy,  in  order  to  efface  the  remem- 
brance of  his  defeat.  He  writes  from  Vicence 
three  days  later:  — 

Vicence,  April  23,  1809. 
I  did  not  write  to  you  yesterday,  as  I  was  on  my  horse 
nearly  all  day,  and  was  very  tired  in  the  evening  (you 
cannot  imagine  what  trouble  I  have  had  in  re-organising 
the  army).  The  news  from  the  Tyrol  is  very  much  less 
grave  than  I  was  led  to  believe  at  first.  Adieu,  my 
darling  wife.  I  am  well,  but  I  shall  never  be  perfectly 
happy  until  I  have  taken  up  the  offensive  (which  will 
be  in  a  few  days,  I  hope),  and  more  than  all,  when  I  can 
send  you  tidings  of  a  grand  victory. 

Later,  in  the  course  of  his  march  on  the  enemy, 
he  writes :  — 

Caldiero,  April  26,  1809. 
I  embrace  you  in  spirit,  my  dear  and  loving  Augusta. 
I  have  been  on  horseback  all  day;   I  am  impatiently 


64         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

awaiting  the  evening's  reports  of  the  enemy's  position. 
I  do  not  think  anything  new  will  turn  up  to-morrow.  I 
am  very  well,  and  I  am  naturally  desirous  of  doing 
something  worthy  of  you. 

Thus  we  see  that  he  gives  expression  to  his 
inmost  thoughts  to  the  Princess.  He  ardently 
desires  success,  that  she  should  be  proud  of  him. 
But  the  enemy  evaded  the  encounter  which 
Eugene  sought  so  assiduously.  The  Viceroy 
openly  took  the  defensive,  and  in  his  forward 
march  gained  a  small  victory,  which  argued  well 
for  the  future.  The  fact  that  he  could  prove  his 
readiness  to  enter  the  lists  again  with  the  enemy 
gave  him  great  satisfaction :  — 

MONTEBELLO,  May  2,  1809,  I  A.  M. 

From  daybreak  we  have  been  pursuing  the  enemy, 
dear  Augusta,  and  we  have  a  slight  skirmish  at  this 
place  with  his  rear-guard.  Our  advance-guard,  com- 
manded by  General  de  Broc,  had  a  sharp  encounter, 
and  our  troops  only  withdrew  upon  my  orders ;  we  took 
about  five  hundred  prisoners,  and  lost  about  forty  men 
on  our  side.  I  hope  to  join  forces  with  the  enemy  at 
Piave.  I  have  received  word  from  the  Emperor,  and  he 
was  not  very  angry  at  my  lost  battle.  I  am  very  well, 
and  we  are  all  very  happy  at  the  prospects  of  continu- 
ously advancing.  I  hope  to  find  some  faces  ahead  of 
us  that  will  be  much  surprised  at  seeing  us  again. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         65 

Adieu,  my  darling  Augusta;  I  love  you  and  embrace 
you,  and  through  you  our  little  cherubs. 

Eugene  redoubled  his  efforts  to  lose  no  chance 
of  meeting  the  enemy.  He  was  on  horseback  all 
day,  and  rarely  found  leisure  to  converse  by  letter 
with  his  dear  wife.  This  simple  note  of  May  4th 
speaks  for  itself :  — 

San-Pietro,  May  4,  1809. 
Bonjour,  my  dear  Augusta ;  I  could  not  write  you  yes- 
terday, and  I  have  little  time  to  do  so  to-day.  I  was  on 
horseback  all  day  yesterday  surveying  the  Brenta.  The 
Austrians  have  burned  all  the  bridges,  and  I  have  been 
obliged  to  construct  rafts.  To-morrow  morning  the 
entire  army  will  have  passed  over ;  their  rear-guard 
have  been  before  us  all  day,  but  I  think  they  will  march 
away  to-night.  But  for  a  little  fatigue,  I  am  well,  and  I 
love  thee ! 

At  last  a  bright  day  dawned  for  Eugene;  it 
would  have  been  more  brilliant  still  if  the  enemy 
had  not  baffled  him :  — 

Castelfranco,  May  6,  1809,  6  a.  m. 
Yesterday  was  a  lucky  day  for  us,  my  dear  Augusta  ; 
the  results  are :  three  hundred  men  killed,  eleven  hun- 
dred prisoners ;  our  loss  amounts  to  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  men.  Yesterday  I  was  at  the  head  of  all 
the  cavalry ;  as  soon  as  we  had  crossed  the  Brenta,  we 
pursued  the  enemy  for  seven  miles,  with  havoc  for  him, 
but  we  were  never  able  to  bring  him  face  to  face  with 
vol.  1.  —  5 


66         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

us;  I  hope  we  shall  meet  him  to-day  on  the  Piave. 
Cavaletti  can  tell  you  all  the  details ;  but  what  he  can- 
not tell  you,  are  my  loving  sentiments  towards  you. 

The  pursuit  continued  unabated ;  but  Eugene 
despaired  of  overtaking  the  enemy,  and  regretted 
the  hours  lost  in  endeavouring  to  force  him  into 
battle.  At  last,  on  May  8th,  the  occasion  pre- 
sented itself,  and  the  Prince  seized  it  with  impet- 
uosity. By  a  bold  attack  he  succeeded  in  routing 
the  Austrians. 

The  joy  with  which  Eugene  announced  a  real 
victory  to  the  Princess,  in  a  bulletin  as  laconic  and 
precise  as  the  success  he  had  just  gained  had  been 
rapid  and  complete,  may  easily  be  imagined :  — 

Cornegliano,  May  9,  1809. 
At  last  I  have  gained  a  great  victory,  my  good  and 
tender  Augusta.  The  Emperor  will,  I  hope,  be  satisfied 
with  us.  Yesterday  we  made  a  very  bold  attack,  for  the 
army  crossed  the  Piave  in  full  view  of  the  Austrian 
troops  who  were  in  retreat ;  and  yet  three  fourths  of 
my  soldiers  did  not  fire  a  gunshot.  The  cavalry  covered 
themselves  with  glory.  The  results  of  the  battle  are : 
fourteen  pieces  of  cannon,  at  least  twenty-five  to  thirty 
caissons,  three  thousand  prisoners,  including  two  gen- 
erals, eight  staff  officers,  and  forty  to  fifty  other  officers ; 
besides  which,  they  lost  two  generals,  and  three  were 
seriously  wounded.  Give  this  good  news  out  in  Milan, 
and  I  hope  the  people  will  be  pleased  to  hear  it. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE,         67 

Adieu,  my  dear  wife,  I  am  going  to  try  and  follow 
up  my  success. 

From  that  time  on,  success  seemed  to  reward 
his  every  effort.  Three  days  later  Eugene  de- 
feated the  Austrians  at  Saint-Daniel,  and  he  sent 
a  short   note   to   the    Princess  announcing  the 

fact : — 

Saint-Daniel,  May  12,  1809. 

We  fought  a  very  brilliant  battle  yesterday  at  this 
place,  my  dear  Augusta.'  The  enemy's  whole  rear- 
guard were  in  position  on  the  heights  above  this  city ; 
the  firing  had  already  commenced  when  I  arrived  with 
my  advance-guard.  I  planned  the  attack,  which  was 
lively  and  successful:  we  made  fifteen  hundred  pris- 
oners, of  which  twenty-two  were  officers,  and  captured 
the  flag  of  the  Kieske  regiment  The  enemy  lost  more 
than  six  hundred  men,  killed  and  wounded  ;  our  loss 
might  be  estimated  as  being  at  two  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  The  other  divisions  of  the  army  arrived  after  all 
was  over.     I  embrace  you  in  spirit. 

Eugene  followed  the  enemy  to  the  frontiers  of 
the  kingdom,  —  the  Austrians  trying  to  evade 
the  risks  of  a  great  battle ;  and,  in  the  letter  which 
follows,  the  Viceroy  jestingly  scolds  them  for 
constantly  fleeing :  — 

Pontebello,  May  1 5,  1809,  Midday. 
Here  I  am  at  Pontebello,  my  very  dear  Augusta,  that 
is  to  say,  on  the  frontiers  of  the  kingdom ;  our  outposts 


68  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

are  in  Malborghetto,  which  the  enemy  had  fortified :  I 
have  been  there  this  morning  already,  inspecting  their 
works.  These  rascally  Austrians,  to  enable  them  to 
retreat  more  easily,  have  cut  down  all  the  bridges,  and 
there  are  two  of  them  so  completely  ruined  that  it  will 
take  at  least  a  month  to  put  them  in  condition  for  the 
waggons  to  pass  over.  You  can  judge  how  all  these 
inconveniences  enrage  me  !  My  health  is  very  good ; 
I  am  very  much  fatigued,  but  I  shall  be  well  recom- 
pensed for  all  that  if  the  Emperor  is  only  contented. 
Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  always  continue  to  love  me. 
I  embrace  you,  and  through  you  our  little  ones ;  a  kind 
remembrance  to  the  ladies  of  your  Court. 


III. 

The  campaign  commenced  to  map  itself  out  in 
the  most  favourable  aspect.  Driven  out  of  Italy, 
the  Austrians  began  to  prepare  to  defend  their 
own  territory ;  but  they  were  not  long  in  retreat- 
ing in  great  disorder  before  the  attacks  of  the 
Viceroy's  army.  And  in  effect,  on  the  17th  of 
May,  they  were  routed  from  their  intrenchments 
by  a  coup  de  main,  redounding  entirely  to  Eugene's 
glory ;  for  he,  notwithstanding  his  generals'  advice 
to  the  contrary,  ordered  an  attack  on  an  enemy 
protected  by  redoubtable  strongholds,  and  gained 
a  complete  victory,  worthy  of  effacing  in  Napo- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         69 

leon's  mind  the  remembrance  of  his  preceding 
defeat.  Indifferent  to  the  fatigue  of  such  a  day, 
he  was  still  up  at  midnight  and  writing  these 
lines  to  the  Princess,  breathing  the  joy  of  triumph, 
and  at  the  same  time  a  warm  affection  coming 
from  the  depths  of  his  heart:  — 

May  17,  1809,  Midnight. 
I  hasten,  my  dear  Augusta,  to  announce  my  great 
news  to  you.  The  17th  of  May  is  for  the  Italian  army 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  days  in  its  military  annals : 
this  morning  we  captured  a  fort  looked  upon  as  impreg- 
nable, and  yet  our  grenadiers  took  it  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet.  Nearly  all  the  garrison  were  put  to  the  sword ; 
they  only  took  three  hundred  prisoners  from  us.  I  set 
out  at  once  to  rejoin  the  advance-guard ;  I  found  them 
at  Tarvis.  I  immediately  reconnoitred  the  enemy,  and 
made  up  my  mind  they  were  preparing  to  attack  us  last 
night  or  this  morning.  Although  there  still  remained 
but  two  hours  before  daybreak,  I  mapped  out  the  attack, 
and  it  was  made  on  my  right,  on  which  side  was  sta- 
tioned the  Italian  division  commanded  by  Fontanelli. 
The  fire  was  sharp,  decisive,  and  successful ;  the  rest  of 
the  army  had  hardly  time  to  fire  a  shot.  The  enemy 
was  chased  for  six  miles  in  the  greatest  disorder.  I 
cannot  just  now  compute  the  total  result  of  the  day,  but 
we  must  certainly  have  captured  two  thousand  or  three 
thousand  prisoners,  twenty  to  twenty-five  pieces  of 
cannon,  and  God  knows  how  many  we  will  gather  up 
to-morrow.     The  battle  was  a  hot  one;  we  have  lost 


70         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

about  three  hundred  men,  and  the  enemy's  bullets  tes- 
tify in  the  ravaging  evidences  of  their  work  of  destruc- 
tion to  the  fierce  encounter  of  this  great  day. 

I  hope  the  Emperor  will  be  content;  I  myself  am  well 
satisfied.  I  tell  you  this  in  confidence :  I  am  more  than 
content  with  myself,  from  the  fact  that  this  attack  was 
my  own  idea,  and  that  I  was  advised  against  it,  on 
account  of  the  enemy's  strong  intrenchments ;  but  I  held 
to  my  given  orders,  and  the  result  has  proved  my  good 
judgment, —  a  few  hours  later,  and  we  should  have  been 
defeated  ourselves.  I  am  very  well.  For  the  last  few 
nights  I  have  not  slept  at  all,  but  everything  is  going 
along  smoothly.  Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  announce 
this  good  news  to  your  Court,  and  love  me  as  I  love  you  ! 

The  decisive  success  of  the  Grand  Army,  under 
Napoleon,  and  Eugene's  unrelenting  pursuit  were 
a  severe  reverse  to  Archduke  John,  General  of 
the  Austrian  troops.  Four  days  after  the  date 
of  the  preceding  letter,  Eugene  was  at  Klagen- 
furth,  in  Carinthia,  en  route  to  join  forces  with 
Napoleon's  army.  As  can  be  seen  by  the  few 
lines  addressed  from  this  place  to  the  Vice-Queen, 
if  he  found  time  neither  to  sleep  nor  to  change 
his  clothes,  he  still  found  plenty  of  time  to  think 
of  his  cherished  companion :  — 

Klagenfurth,  May  26,  1809,  6  p.  m. 
Here  I  am,  encamped  at  Klagenfurth  with  a  part  of 
the  army,  my  dear  Augusta;  and  four  leagues  farther  on, 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         7 1 

at  Marburg,  is  my  light  infantry.  We  shall  probably 
march  seven  or  eight  days  longer  without  meeting  the 
enemy,  as  he  is  retreating  in  great  haste;  and  in  the 
mean  time  I  am  manoeuvring  to  join  the  Emperor.  I 
could  not  write  yesterday,  as  I  had  worked  a  great  deal 
and  slept  but  little;  but  I  told  Bataille  to  write  to 
Madame  Wurmbs.  I  receive  your  sweet  letters  every 
day,  and  I  hope  you  realise  all  the  pleasure  they  give 
me.  It  has  rained  here  excessively  all  day.  I  have  no 
change  of  clothes  with  me,  as  my  baggage  is  two  days' 
journey  behind  me,  and  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  get  it 
before  to-morrow ;  I  am  like  a  little  Saint  John,  with  a 
single  coat  on  my  back,  for  I  have  lost  my  cape. 
Those  bridges  destroyed  by  the  enemy  have  played 
the  devil  with  us. 

Five  days  later  Eugene  gained  another  victory, 
at  Saint-Michel,  when  he  attacked  and  routed  the 
most  important  corps  in  the  Austrian  army.  The 
animated  picture  of  this  happy  day,  which  he 
drew  for  the  Princess,  is  not  overdrawn,  if  we 
compare  it  with  the  accounts  of  contemporaneous 
historians.     For  instance,  Seel  writes,  — 

"  About  two  o'clock,  the  attack  commenced  along  the 
line.  Before  the  fire  had  fully  developed,  Eugene  arrived 
with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  to  take  command  of  the 
troops.  He  at  once  ordered  the  assault  at  bayonet- 
point  ;  the  heights  of  Saint-Michel  were  soon  the  scene 
of  terror  and  disorder  among  the  enemy's  troops,  who 
fled  in  wild  dismay." 


72         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

But  let  Eugene  speak  for  himself :  — 

Saint-Michel,  May  26,  1809,  6  a.  m. 

Again  good  news,  my  darling  Augusta;  but  this 
news  is  really  excellent.  I  was  fortunate  enough,  after 
three  days  of  extraordinary  marching,  to  be  able  to 
overtake  the  corps  of  the  Austrian  army  commanded  by 
General  Jellachich,  who  was  defeated  by  the  Bavarians 
at  Salzburg,  though  since  then  he  has  had  some  success. 
This  corps,  reinforced  by  several  battalions,  came  from 
the  interior  and  took  up  their  position  in  front  of  us 
yesterday  morning,  after  a  march  of  forty  miles,  upon 
the  slope  of  Saint-Michel  (it  is  a  superb  position).  I 
reached  the  outposts  at  eleven  o'clock.  I  at  once 
arranged  the  plan  of  attack.  I  hurried  a  second  divi- 
sion to  my  assistance ;  and  this  corps  of  Jellachich's, 
seven  or  eight  thousand  men  strong,  was  totally 
annihilated  in  two  hours:  hardly  six  hundred  men 
gained  the  mountains.  General  Jellachich  saved  him- 
self with  only  sixty  dragoons  ;  the  Austrians  had  eight 
hundred  killed  at  least,  twelve  hundred  wounded,  and 
we  have  already  counted  forty-five  hundred  prisoners, 
of  whom  seventy  are  officers.  You  will  read  more  de- 
tails in  the  papers,  and  you  will  no  doubt  see  the  names 
of  Triaire  and  De  Lacroix  mentioned ;  they  made  some 
splendid  charges. 

I  am  very  well  satisfied,  because  I  think  the  Emperor 
will  be.  It  is  a  great  thing  for  us  to  have  destroyed  a 
corps  of  the  Grand  Army.  They  assure  me  that  Gen- 
eral John  is  at  Gratz ;  if  he  comes  to  Bruck,  we  shall 
meet  him   to-night  or  to-morrow.     There   are   barely 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         73 

twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  men  left  of  this  brilliant 
army  of  fifty  thousand.  It  was  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance to  prevent  the  reunion  of  Jellachich  and  Prince 
John.  In  one  month  we  have  captured  twenty  thou- 
sand prisoners  and  one  hundred  and  forty  pieces  of 
cannon  from  the  enemy. 

I  beg  of  you,  give  these  good  tidings  to  my  sister  and 
mother,  as  well  as  to  the  King  of  Bavaria ;  I  have  not 
time  to  write  to  them.  Tell  them  also  to  your  Court. 
I  like  to  think  that  they  will  please  the  people  of  Milan. 
Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  you  know  my  love  and  ten- 
derness for  you,  and  that  they  will  never  change. 

Eugene  reached  Bruck  in  Austria  with  an 
unheard-of  rapidity,  and  the  27th  of  May  he  ef- 
fected his  reunion  with  the  Grand  Army.  The 
Emperor  was  delighted  with  this  bold  step,  and 
cried  out,  on  learning  of  it,  "  Nobody  but 
Eugene  could  have  reached  Bruck  to-day;  the 
heart  alone  is  capable  of  accomplishing  such 
marvels ! " 

The  Emperor  addressed  a  proclamation  to  the 
Italian  army,  in  which  the  well-merited  praises 
were  very  flattering  to  Eugene  and  his  soldiers. 
He  hastened  to  impart  them  the  next  day  to 
the  Vice-Queen: —  j^. 

Bruck,  May  28,  1809,  12.30  p.m. 
I  am  overwhelmed  with  joy,  my  dear  Augusta ;   the 
Emperor  wrote  me  a  charming  letter,  as  soon  as  he 


74         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

learned  of  our  junction.  He  appears  well  satisfied,  and 
he  has  ordered  me  to  publish  in  the  Italian  army  the 
enclosed  proclamation.  You  will  see  by  it  that  he 
gives  proof  of  his  great  satisfaction  with  my  actions. 
Really  we  have  made  unheard-of  marches,  notwith- 
standing the  battles  and  the  numberless  obstacles  the 
enemy  has  placed  in  our  path.  I  hope  all  these  good 
tidings  will  please  Milan.  The  King  of  Bavaria  will 
also  learn  with  joy  that  we  have  destroyed  the  corps 
of  the  army  which  worked  him  the  most  injury. 

At  last  Eugene  arrived  in  Vienna,  May  29th, 
and  at  once  set  out  to  find  the  Emperor  at  his 
headquarters  at  Ebersdorf,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
by  carriage  from  the  city.  He  reached  there 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening.  Baron  Dar- 
nay,  who  had  the  honour  of  accompanying  him, 
and  was  the  happy  witness  of  the  flattering  re- 
ception the  Prince  received  from  His  Majesty 
and  the  whole  staff,  relates  how  the  Emperor 
hurried  to  meet  Eugene  in  the  doorway  and 
pressed  him  closely  in  his  arms,  then  presenting 
him  to  the  marshals  and  the  Major-General, 
cried  out :  "  It  is  not  only  courage  which  brings 
Eugene  here,  it  is  his  heart  also ! " 

The  same  evening  of  this  cordial  reception,  the 
witness  goes  on  to  say :  "  The  Emperor  seemed 
to  be  carried  away  in  an  extraordinary  manner  by 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         75 

his  admiration  of  Eugene."  The  latter,  with  his 
accustomed  modesty,  contented  himself  with  writ- 
ing these  few  lines  to  the  Princess :  — 

Ebersdorf,  May  29,  1809,  Midnight. 
I  reached  here  at  midday  from  Vienna,  my  dear 
Augusta,  and  I  immediately  repaired  to  the  Emperor's 
headquarters.  He  was  extremely  kind  and  loving  to 
me,  and  repeated  that  he  was  well  satisfied  with  me 
and  my  manoeuvres  of  the  Italian  army. 

IV. 

The  campaign,  however,  was  by  no  means 
ended.  The  enemy  tried  to  concentrate  and  re- 
organise their  forces  in  Hungary,  where  Arch- 
Duke  John  had  retired  with  the  remains  of  the 
Austrian  army,  together  with  the  Crown  jewels. 
Napoleon  ordered  Eugene  to  attack  and  shatter 
this  last  hope  of  the  Hapsburg  monarchy.  The 
young  Viceroy  felt  that  now  was  his  opportunity 
to  revenge  his  first  reverses,  and  threw  himself 
with  ardour  upon  the  work  before  him. 

On  June  9,  he  wrote  from  Sarvar  in  Hungary: 

Sarvar,  June  9,  1809. 
You  know  that  I  left  the  Emperor  five  days  ago,  and 
that  I  have  come  in  search  of  the  Archduke  John  at 
the  head  of  my  army.     We  were  all  most  anxious  to 


76         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

meet  him  again  before  he  crosses  the  Danube.  The 
Emperor  has  treated  me  so  kindly  that  I  am  more 
than  anxious  to  please  him,  and  will  do  all  that  I  can 
to  accomplish  his  desires. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta,  rest  quietly;  we  are  all 
well,  notwithstanding  our  long  marches. 

I  have  now  come  to  what  was  perhaps  the. 
most  brilliant  day  in  Eugene's  life,  —  that  of  the 
14th  of  June,  1809.  That  day  the  Viceroy  gained 
the  famous  battle  of  Raab,  which  cost  him  more 
than  six  thousand  men.  This  battle  was  fought  on 
the  anniversaries  of  Marengo  and  Friedland  ;  and 
Napoleon,  famous  for  uttering  words  which  were 
afterwards  destined  to  become  historical,  bap- 
tised the  battle  of  Raab  as  "  The  grandson  of 
Marengo  !  " 

When  one  has  been  on  horseback  twenty  hours 
out  of  the  twenty-four,  and,  like  Eugene,  does  not 
even  give  to  sleep  the  time  strictly  necessary, 
there  is  little  time  in  which  to  write  as  constantly 
and  fully  as  one  desires.  Thus  it  happened  that 
it  was  not  until  the  next  day  the  Viceroy  took 
up  his  pen  to  write  the  following  succinct  letter  : 

SZOMBATHELY,  NEAR  RAAB,  June  1 5,  1809. 

I  send  Tascher,  my  dear,  good  Augusta,  to  bring  news 
of  me  and  reassure  you.  It  is  several  days  now  since  I 
have  been  able  to  write  to  you,  for  I  have   been  on 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         J  J 

horseback  twenty  hours  at  a  stretch.  I  won  three 
battles  this  month,  the  nth,  12th,  and  13th;  and  yester- 
day, the  14th,  the  anniversary  of  Marengo  and  Fried- 
land,  I  won  a  brilliant  victory  over  the  army  under 
Prince  John. 

The  combat  was  the  fiercest  I  ever  saw  in  my  life. 
To  oust  the  enemy  from  his  position,  we  were  repulsed 
six  times.  At  the  seventh  attempt  we  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  summit  of  the  plateau.  Our  losses,  while 
not  amounting  to  those  of  the  enemy,  were  yet  con- 
siderable. Authouard,  Triaire,  and  De  Lacroix,  on  our 
side,  were  wounded.  Delbreme  received  a  bullet-wound 
in  the  abdomen.  Several  of  my  officers  and  pickets 
were  killed,  and  Petrus  (Mameluke),  who  was  behind 
me,  was  wounded  in  the  head.  All  these  details  are 
now  in  the  past,  and  I  can  give  them  to  you.  We  have 
captured  two  flags,  and  the  Hungarian  insurrection  will 
water  its  wine  after  this  adventure.  I  think  we  must 
have  had  yesterday  in  front  of  us  nearly  twice  as  many 
as  our  own  men.  Tascher  will  give  you  all  the  details. 
The  Emperor  has  named  him  as  my  aide  as  well  as 
Jules  de  Serres,  who  was  aide  to  the  Minister  of  War, 
and  the  young  Lab6doyere,  who  was  aide  to  Lannes, 
and  of  whom  great  things  are  said.  Adieu,  my  good 
Augusta  ;  I  am  a  little  tired,  for  in  the  last  eight  days 
I  have  actually  not  slept  six  hours. 

To  Napoleon,  Eugene  announced  his  victory 
in  these  simple  words  preceding  the  exact  rela- 
tion of  the  facts:  — 


78       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Sire,  —  I  hasten  to  acquaint  Your  Majesty  with  the 
fact  of  a  battle  fought  yesterday  with  Prince  John,  and 
that  I  was  lucky  enough  to  win  it.  It  was  the  anniver- 
sary of  too  grand  a  day  to  allow  us  to  suffer  misfortune. 

This  letter  is  dated  the  14th,  the  day  of  the 
battle.  On  the  16th,  Napoleon  replied  from 
Schoenbrunn  :  — 

"  I  congratulate  you  on  the  battle  of  Raab.  It  is  the 
grandson  of  Marengo  and  Friedland.  Announce  my 
satisfaction  to  the  army." 

Napoleon's  praises  were  honestly  deserved.  It 
was  remarked  that  during  this  campaign  Prince 
Eugene  took  more  prisoners  and  captured  more 
artillery  than  he  himself  had  men  and  cannons 
under  him. 

In  the  midst  of  the  fatigues  of  war  and  the 
manly  joys  of  victory,  Eugene's  heart  never  for- 
got the  more  intimate  pleasures  of  the  far-dis- 
tant fireside. 

It  was  from  Raab  that  he  addressed  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  more  like  that  of  a  lover  than  a 
husband : — 

In  the  Camp  at  Raab,  June  22,  1809. 

My  very  dear  AUGUSTA, — I  have  calculated  that 
this  letter  will  reach  you  on  the  day  of  your  anniver- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         Jg 

sary,  and  that  it  may  be  more  certain,  I  send  it  by  my 
courier,  Tortes;  I  cannot  send  it  by  an  officer,  as  all 
mine  are  on  sick  beds.  I  offer  you  on  the  21st  what 
I  offer  you  every  day,  the  expression  of  my  deep  love. 
It  is  frank,  passionate,  and  lasting,  much  more  so  than 
any  words  can  express.  I  have  been  away  two  months 
and  a  half.  A  long  time,  is  it  not?  But  have  I  not 
been  well  recompensed  by  the  way  in  which  the 
Emperor  has  treated  me,  and  fortune  has  smiled  on 
me?  Confess  that  I  was  born  to  be  happy,  and  you 
know  how  large  a  share  you  hold  in  my  happiness. 
The  battle  of  Raab  was  grand.  The  enemy  lost  one 
thousand  men. 

The  bombardment  of  Raab  was  directed  by 
Eugene  with  a  pitiless  energy.  It  lasted  for  two 
days  ;  and  during  this  time  this  man,  so  sensitive 
to  generous  sentiments,  suffered  from  the  rigours 
imposed  upon  him  by  war.  His  heart  was  riven 
in  hearing,  amid  the  thundering  of  the  cannon, 
the  cries  from  the  half-consumed  city.  He 
turned  his  eyes  from  this  heart-rending  spectacle, 
endeavouring  to  forget  it  in  the  loving  contempla- 
tion of  beings  so  tenderly  cherished.  In  touch- 
ing terms  he  traced  for  the  Princess  the  following 
picture  of  those  awful  days :  — 

In  the  Camp  at  Raab,  June  23,  6  a.  m. 
Instead  of  reopening  my  letter,  my  good  Augusta, 
I  write  you  a  second  to  announce  the  capitulation  of 


80         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Raab.  We  have  bombarded  it  pitilessly  for  two  days, 
and  about  half  the  city  is  burned.  It  was  heart-rending 
to  listen  to  the  cries  of  the  unhappy  inhabitants  all  dur- 
ing last  night.  We  were  going  to  make  a  breach  to-day, 
and  to-morrow  perhaps  order  an  assault.  They  did  well 
to  surrender. 

I  do  not  think,  though,  that  the  capture  of  Raab  will 
mean  a  rest  for  us.  We  are  prepared  to  march  at  any 
moment ;  and  a  happy  thing  for  us  is  that  we  are  always 
ready  and  well  disposed  to  march. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  I  send  a  thousand  kisses 
for  you  and  my  little  angels.  I  gazed  on  your  portraits 
this  morning.  My  heart  filled  with  pleasure,  but  this 
happiness  is  as  nothing  compared  to  that  which  will  fill 
me  when  I  press  you  in  my  arms  once  more.     Adieu. 

The  city  was  finally  taken.  He  entered  in  tri- 
umph among  the  smoking  ruins,  which,  as  he 
wrote  his  wife  the  following  day,  "  were  but  piles 
of  rubbish." 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Emperor  was  concen- 
trating his  forces  at  Vienna  in  view  of  a  decisive 
battle,  which  was  to  rank  among  the  greatest 
battles  of  the  century,  that  of  Wagram.  Eugene 
received  orders  to  retrograde  the  Italian  army 
from  Raab  in  the  direction  of  Vienna,  where  he 
was  to  work  in  conjunction  with  the  Grand 
Army.     The    Prince   and   his   men   contributed 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         8 1 

largely  to  the  success  of  these  two  bloody  and 
triumphant  days.  They  took  twenty-five  hundred 
prisoners  from  the  enemy  and  captured  eight  pieces 
of  cannon.  The  next  day,  July  7,  the  Emperor, 
crossing  the  bivouacs  of  the  Italian  army  at  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  stopped  before  the  tents 
and  said  to  the  soldiers,  "  You  are  brave  fellows ; 
you  have  covered  yourselves  with  glory." 

This  victory  won  Napoleon  the  peace  of  Vienna 
and  cost  the  Austrians  eighty-five  millions  and 
their  beautiful  Illyrian  provinces.  The  next  day 
Eugene  thus  announces  the  exploits  of  his  army 
to  the  Princess  :  — 

In  Camp  before  Stamersdorf,  July  7,  1809,  Morning. 
Victory  is  ours.     My  dear  Augusta,  I  am  well,  except 
for  a  little  fatigue.     We  fought  for  forty-eight  consecu- 
tive hours.     The  Italian  army  covered  itself  with  glory. 
The  Queen's  regiment  of  dragoons  deserve  special  notice. 

Eugene  was  delegated  by  Napoleon  to  protect 
Vienna  against  any  aggressive  return  of  the  Aus- 
trians. His  troops  were  to  be  placed  en  echelon 
in  such  a  manner  that  his  command  extended 
over  a  very  important  part  of  the  Empire.  Dur- 
ing this  whole  occupation,  the  excellent  discipline 
which  he  maintained  over  his  men,  the  human- 
ity with  which  he  treated  the  inhabitants,  endeav- 
VOL.  1.  —  6 


82  THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

ouring  thus  to  soften  the  rigours  of  war,  excited 
the  esteem  and  recognition  of  all. 

On  the  1 2th  of  July,  still  in  ignorance  of  the 
armistice  signed  that  very  day,  he  wrote  the 
Princess  this  charming  letter,  in  which  his  re- 
gret at  being  so  far  from  all  his  loved  ones  is 
so  delicately  expressed  :  — 

SlEBENBRUMER,  July  12,  1809. 

Now  that  the  great  battle  is  ended,  you  should  be 
very  tranquil.  It  is  true  the  affair  lasted  two  consecu- 
tive days  and  was  very  hotly  contested,  but  it  is  impossible 
that  there  should  be  two  such  battles  in  one  campaign. 
I  was  happy  in  the  midst  of  the  cannon's  roar,  as  I 
always  am ;  but  I  should  have  thought  my  felicity  ex- 
hausted had  I  had  you  and  my  dear  little  ones  with  me. 
Would  you  believe  that  on  the  day  of  that  battle  there 
were  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  cannons  fired,  and 
that  thirty  thousand  of  them  were  aimed  at  my  corps  of 
the  army? 

It  will  be  a  happy  moment  for  me  when  I  can  take 
you  and  my  little  ones  in  my  arms  once  more. 

Following  Napoleon's  example,  Eugene,  in  the 
midst  of  his  labours  as  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  army,  did  not  neglect  the  cares  of  his  gov- 
ernment. He  profited  by  the  leisure  which  the 
armistice  afforded  him  to  devote  himself  assidu- 
ously to  the  affairs  of  his  kingdom. 

He  hardly  permitted  himself  from  time  to  time 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         8$ 

the  relaxation  of  hunting.  But  neither  the  re- 
sponsibilities of  a  general,  nor  the  preoccupations 
of  a  viceroy,  nor  the  pleasures  of  the  hunt,  for 
one  moment  obliterated  the  image  of  the  ador- 
able wife  who  was  his  idol.  What  touching  sim- 
plicity there  was  in  this  "  6onjour"  at  the  reveille 

of  the  soldiers! 

Presburg,  July  18,  1809,  6  a.  m. 

Bonjour,  my  dear  Augusta.  My  first  thought  this 
morning,  as  every  morning,  is  for  thee  and  my  pretty 
little  ones.  I  received  your  letter  of  the  7th  yesterday. 
It  came  by  way  of  Strasbourg.  I  knew  that  the  Em- 
peror intended  to  announce  the  armistice  by  equerry 
to  you.  I  did  not  know  of  it  until  thirty-six  hours  later, 
and  during  this  time  I  fought  on  the  march  as  if  those 
last  cannon-shots  were  meant  for  me. 

V. 

From  that  moment  peace  was  looked  upon  as  be- 
ingvery  near  at  hand.  It  was,  however,  the  14th  of 
October  before  it  was  signed,  and  the  winter  had 
come  before  Eugene  found  himself  free  to  return 
to  his  family,  who  missed  him  so  much.  His  isola- 
tion weighed  more  and  more  heavily  upon  him,  and 
upon  the  19th  of  July  he  wrote  to  the  Princess: 

Presburg,  July  19,  1809. 
I    leave  here    to-morrow    morning,   my  very  dear 
Augusta ;   and  as  I  shall  be  two  or  three  days  on  the 


84  THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

road,  I  hasten  to  notify  you.  I  am  going  to  visit  the 
battle-field  of  Austerlitz,  and  I  shall  profit  by  this  little 
journey  to  reconnoitre  the  country. 

Yesterday  evening,  Tuesday,  I  was  thinking  of  our 
little  games,  and  I  regretted  them  very  much.  It  seems 
I  shall  be  very  well  placed  at  Eisenstadt.  They  tell  me 
there  is  a  superb  park  there  filled  with  game.  I  intend 
to  hunt  every  morning,  work  afterwards,  and  think  of  my 
little  family  all  day. 

Oftentimes  the  roads  were  infested  with  the 
enemy's  spies ;  and,  as  the  couriers  could  not  pass, 
it  frequently  happened  that  the  Prince  was  with- 
out news  from  home  for  days.  He  suffered  from 
this  deprivation  greatly,  as  the  following  letter 
shows,  —  a  letter  in  which  Eugene  gives  free 
rein  to  his  sentiments  as  faithful  husband  and 
loving  father:  — 

Vienna,  July  22,  1809. 
My  DEAR  AUGUSTA,  —  I  have  just  returned,  and  I 
hasten  to  impart  my  news  to  you,  and  it  is  very  good. 
I  came  here  to  spend  three  or  four  days  with  the  Em- 
peror. I  leave  here  for  my  headquarters  in  Hungary. 
I  saw  Louis  (Prince  Royal  of  Bavaria)  this  morning. 
He  has  gained  greatly  since  I  last  saw  him.  We  break- 
fasted together  with  the  Emperor,  and  I  hope  we  shall 
see  a  great  deal  of  each  other  during  the  few  days  we 
remain  here.  You  can  imagine  of  whom  we  spoke. 
You  were  the  constant  subject  of  our  conversation,  as 
you  are  always  of  my  thoughts. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         85 

The  news  of  Eugenie's  two  teeth  has  pleased  me 
greatly,  and  everything  points  to  her  getting  the  rest 
without  any  trouble. 

Allemange  joined  me  at  Brunn,  and  remitted  me  all 
the  mail  delayed  at  Udine.  I  have  your  fourteen  letters ! 
All  that  I  suffered  in  waiting  for  them  is  amply  made  up 
by  the  pleasure  in  hearing  such  good  news  of  my  little 
family.  Adieu,  my  dear,  good  Augusta;  I  hope  we 
shall  not  be  separated  much  longer.  I  embrace  you 
and  my  two  little  ones,  and  I  love  you  with  all  my 
heart.     Your  faithful  husband  and  friend. 

For  her  birthday,  Eugene  sent  the  Princess  a 
present  from  Vienna  —  "a  bagatelle,"  as  he  calls 
it  —  with  these  lines,  in  which  he  depicts  the  ten- 
der intimacy,  the  happiness,  and  the  exquisite 
simplicity  of  this  princely  household :  — 

Vienna,  July  26,  1809. 

I  send  Bataille  with  this  letter,  my  dear,  good  Augusta. 
It  is  near  your  birthday,  and  I  hope  this  will  reach  you 
just  at  the  desired  moment  I  send  you  a  bagatelle  from 
Vienna,  which  I  thought  very  pretty,  and  I  hope  it  may 
seem  as  pretty  to  you.  I  will  not  offer  you  any  new 
protestations  of  tenderness  and  affection  for  the  3d  of 
August.  These  sentiments  are  the  same  and  will  be  for 
all  days  and  time.  I  send  you  some  playthings  for  my 
little  angels;  and  I  hope  that  Josephine  will  pay  you 
her  little  compliment,  and  I  only  regret  that  I  am  not 
there  to  teach  her  a  prettier  one.  I  hope  that  the  news 
of  the  armistice  will  quiet  Italy ;  I  was  pained  to  learn 
of  those  petty  revolts.     We  are  getting  in  readiness  to 


86         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

reopen  the  war,  but  everything  leads  us  to  believe  that 
matters  will  straighten  themselves  out.  I  know  not 
when  I  shall  see  you  and  press  you  in  my  arms ;  but 
you  know,  I  hope,  that  this  moment,  when  it  does  arrive, 
will  be  one  of  the  happiest  of  my  life. 

Now  that  the  excitement  of  battle  no  longer 
occupied  all  his  thoughts  and  tired  his  body, 
Eugene  lived  in  Milan  more  than  in  Vienna.  He 
entered  into  the  smallest  details  of  the  Princess's 
existence,  worrying  over  a  slight  illness  which 
she  had  concealed  from  him,  and  talking  to  her 
in  terms  which  were  much  more  those  of  an 
ardent  lover  than  of  a  husband.  Here  is  a  pretty 
billet  which  he  wrote  her,  to  explain  his  great 
regret  at  not  being  with  her  on  her  fete-day : . 

Vienna,  August  3,  1809. 
To-day  is  the  3d  of  August  and  your  fete-day,  my 
dear  Augusta ;  and  it  is  with  regret  that  I  remember  I 
am  not  near  you  to  give  expression  to  my  sentiments. 
How  happy  all  those  who  are  near  you  at  this  moment 
must  be !  I  slept  at  Schoenbrunn  last  night,  as  it  was 
late  when  the  play  was  over ;  and  this  morning  Prince 
de  Neuchatel  and  myself  hunted  together.  We  returned 
for  parade  and  breakfast  with  the  Emperor.  Aubert 
has  just  told  me  that  your  foot  hurts  you  still ;  why  did 
you  not  tell  me  about  it?  Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta;  I 
love  to  think  that  in  the  midst  of  the  pleasures  of  your 
fete-day  you  will  still  think  a  little  of  my  regret. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         87 

On  her  part,  the  Princess  felt  this  protracted 
separation  keenly;  and  notwithstanding  all  her 
courage  and  her  desire  not  to  cause  the  slightest 
worry  to  her  husband,  she  could  not  hide  the 
sadness  which  filled  her  heart  at  the  prospect  of 
a  still  longer  duration  of  the  campaign.  Eugene, 
upon  receipt  of  a  letter  in  which  he  read  between 
the  lines  the  sorrow  she  so  bravely  tried  to  con- 
ceal from  him,  hastened  to  reassure  and  comfort 
her:  — 

"  Clerici  has  just  brought  me  your  letter.  Its  con- 
tents dashed  my  cup  of  joy  from  my  lips,  my  dear 
Augusta.  In  it  I  could  read  your  sad  thoughts,  and  I 
swear  to  you,  you  should  not  have  them.  Believe  in 
me ;  in  our  star,  which  is  a  happy  one ;  on  my  conscience, 
which  will  always  be  pure ;  on  the  justice  of  the  Emperor, 
and  the  bonds  of  love  which  unite  us." 

And  he  scolded  her  gently  for  not  confiding 
her  smallest  worries  as  wife  and  princess  to  him. 
Did  not  their  hearts,  closely  united,  form  but  a 
single  soul,  in  all  that  was  common  between  them, 
—  sorrows,  joys,  hopes,  and  the  anguish  of  love  ? 
Here  is  a  letter  which  plainly  outlines  his  idea  of 
what  should  constitute  an  ideal  marriage :  — 

Vienna,  August  26,  1809.   * 
Why  is  it  that  when  you  are  sad  you  hide  it  from  me, 
and  keep  it  to  yourself?    You  know  me  but  little,  my 


88         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

dear  Augusta,  and  you  give  me  little  credit  for  my 
sentiments  towards  you,  if  you  keep  silent  on  your 
troubles.  You  can  confide  them  to  no  one  who  will 
sympathise  with  you  more  than  I,  and  I  must  confess 
you  have  hurt  me.  If  I  were  to  know  that  you  were 
worried,  if  I  were  to  see  you  with  sadness  in  your  eyes, 
I  could  only  say  to  you  that  you  were  wrong.  Yes,  my 
dear  Augusta,  you  wound  me  deeply  when  I  know 
that  you  are  worried  and  anxious  over  a  future  which 
can  be  nothing  but  a  happy  one,  for  the  omens  since 
our  union  have  been  most  favourable.  But  what  would 
hurt  me  more  than  anything  would  be  to  know  that  I 
was  shut  out  from  your  confidence.  Put  these  sad 
thoughts  and  ideas  away  from  you,  because  they  are 
not  worthy  of  you,  and  there  is  no  reason  you  should 
have  other  than  agreeable  ones ;  if  you  feel  sorrowful 
sometimes,  it  is  on  your  husband's  heart  you  should  lean 
for  comfort,  —  he  who  has  no  other  interest  than  yours ; 
he  who  is  devotedly  and  entirely  interested  in  you. 
Adieu,  my  dear  friend ;  do  not  look  upon  this  as  a  scold- 
ing, I  pray  you.  I  have  opened  my  heart  to  you,  so 
that  you  shall  always  read  therein  my  tender  and 
unchangeable  love  for  you. 

The  Princess  sent  Eugene,  upon  his  twenty- 
eighth  birthday,  a  present  which  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  agreeable  to  him, — her  picture  and 
that  of  his  children.  The  joy  which  he  felt,  burst 
forth  in  this  sweet,  simple,  and  delicately  lover-like 
epistle :  — 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         89 

Eisenstadt,  September  4,  1809. 

I  thank  you  a  thousand  times,  my  darling  Augusta;  I 
saw  Anoni  yesterday.  I  returned  here  yesterday  even- 
ing at  eight  o'clock,  very  tired  with  the  heat  of  the  day 
and  the  hours  spent  in  travelling,  never  giving  my 
twenty-eight  years  a  thought  I  had  hardly  reached 
my  room  before  Anoni  was  announced.  Judge  of  my 
happiness  when  he  handed  me  your  letter  and  your 
charming  gift.  The  idea  was  a  delightful  one ;  the  por- 
traits very  like,  especially  that  of  Josephine;  indeed, 
they  are  all  admirable.  I  will  carry  them  with  me 
everywhere  ;  they  will  recall  to  me,  every  time  I  gaze 
upon  them,  the  happiness  which  is  mine  in  my  little 
family.  I  am  going  out  almost  immediately,  as  the  Em- 
peror has  ordered  me  to  hold  several  reviews.  I  will 
send  Anoni  to  Vienna,  which  city  I  shall  reach  late  this 
evening,  and  I  will  keep  him  with  me  several  days,  so 
that  I  can  talk  about  you  more  at  my  ease. 

Bonjour,  my  dear  friend ;  I  have  not  the  time  now  to 
explain  to  you  how  much  touched  I  was  by  your  kind 
attention,  and  how  happy  you  have  made  me.  Adieu, 
my  beloved  Augusta;  you  well  merit  and  possess  all 
the  love  of  your  faithful  husband  and  friend. 

Desirous  as  he  was  for  the  peace  which 
would  enable  him  to  return  to  his  loved  ones, 
Eugene  was  none  the  less  sensible  of  a  new 
proof  of  Napoleon's  confidence.  His  tenderness 
as  a  husband  was  not  overshadowed  by  his  ardour 
as  a  soldier :  — 


90         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Vienna,  September  12,  1809. 
Anoni  has  told  you  no  doubt,  my  dear  Augusta,  that 
we  talked  long  and  often  about  you,  and  that  my 
thoughts  are  filled  with  the  happiness  of  once  more 
feeling  your  arms  about  me ;  this  happiness  will,  I  hope, 
be  possible  next  month,  for  I  have  strong  hopes  that 
everything  will  be  ended  here  by  November  1.  (This  is 
for  you  alone.)  I  set  out  day  after  to-morrow  for  Holla- 
brunn,  where  the  Emperor  has  ordered  me  to  hold 
cavalry  reviews ;  and  I  shall  be  absent  two  days.  The 
Emperor  has  added  four  regiments  of  light  cavalry  to 
my  corps,  making  in  all  three  thousand  horses  ;  this 
division  is  a  grand  one,  and  I  shall  have  more  than  nine 
thousand  cavalry  under  me.  Adieu,  my  good  and 
tender  friend ;  our  preparations  for  war  are  on  a  grand 
scale,  and  yet  you  can  in  all  certainty  count  on  a  near 
peace. 

The  "  Adieu  "  which  ended  each  of  Eugene's 
letters  to  the  Vice-Queen  was  always  charming, 
and  breathed  a  sentiment  of  profound  delicacy. 
In  one,  in  which  he  announced  that  the  Emperor 
was  about  to  visit  the  troops,  and  "hoped  the 
Emperor  would  be  pleased  with  their  condition," 
he  terminated  by  saying :  "  Adieu,  my  dear  Au- 
gusta; I  embrace  you  as  I  love  you,  that  is,  ten- 
derly." The  day  after,  September  20th,  giving  a 
description  of  an  enjoyable  day  he  had  spent 
hunting,   he   finished   thus :    "  I  have   a  pile  of 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         91 

letters  to  read,  so  far  I  have  only  opened  two ; 
you  do  not  need  to  be  told  whose.     Adieu." 

I  have  a  letter  before  me,  without  historical 
value,  but  which  appears  characteristic  because  of 
the  intimate  and  familiar  tone  in  which  the  Prince 
acquaints  the  Vice-Queen  with  the  smallest  details 
of  his  daily  existence,  —  details  noted  hourly, 
so  to  speak,  and  which  are  so  precious  to  two 
hearts  united  by  a  strong  tie,  for  this  knowledge 
enables  them  to  live  each  other's  lives  while 
separated :  — 

Vienna,  September  23,  1809. 

I  could  not  write  to  you  yesterday,  my  dear  Augusta, 
as  I  had  intended  to,  for  we  were  on  horseback  nearly 
all  day.  The  Emperor  was  drilling  his  Guard,  and 
placed  me  in  command  of  his  cavalry.  For  several 
hours  we  were,  so  to  speak,  in  mimic  war.  In  the 
evening  I  was  somewhat  fatigued,  but  it  is  all  gone  now. 
I  have  nothing  new  to  tell  you.  The  weather  is  getting 
quite  chilly ;  and  I  hope  sincerely  we  shall  not  remain 
here  long  enough  to  see  snow  in  Vienna. 

I  received  a  letter  from  the  Empress  day  before  yes- 
terday. She  told  me  she  had  written  to  you  the  day 
before ;  her  health  seems  good,  and  my  sister  writes  me 
from  Plombieres  that  the  waters  are  doing  her  good. 
I  saw  the  young  Prince  of  Darmstadt  on  parade  this 
morning.  I  gave  him  your  compliments ;  he  begged  me 
to  send  his  in  return.     I  think  I  told  you  that  on  the 


92         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Emperor's  fete-day  he  had  a  fall  from  his  horse,  which 
laid  him  up  for  over  two  weeks.  He  was  obliged  to 
keep  his  bed,  but  is  fortunately  on  the  high-road  to  re- 
covery. Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta ;  think  of  the  pleasure 
of  meeting  again.  That  will  console  you  for  absence, 
especially  when  you  remember  that  the  pleasure  cannot 
be  much  longer  delayed. 

Ah !  as  to  that  so  ardently  desired  return,  he 
thought  of  it  ceaselessly,  and  it  can  easily  be  im- 
agined with  what  joy  he  welcomed  the  slightest 
indication  of  its  near  approach.  "  They  talk," 
he  wrote  September  24,  "  of  the  near  approach- 
ing journey  of  the  Emperor  to  Paris,  and  conse- 
quently of  my  turning  my  steps  homeward.  That 
day  will  surely  be  one  of  the  happiest  in  my  life." 

The  nearer  he  felt  that  day  approaching,  the 
more  Eugene  forgot  the  victorious  hero  of  Raab, 
and  became  the  loving  husband  and  the  affec- 
tionate father.  From  Vienna  he  sends  some 
playthings  to  his  "  petites  choux,"  accompanied 
by  these  simple  words  :  — 

"  I  hasten  to  send  you  good  news,  my  dear  Augusta. 
Three  Austrian  generals  arrived  in  Vienna  yesterday 
from  Schoenbrunn,  to  consummate  the  treaty.  It  is 
certain  now  that  everything  will  be  quickly  arranged. 
I  now  repeat  what  I  have  already  told  you,  that  I  shall 
see  you  before  the  month  of  October  is  over.     If  the 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         93 

weather  is  not  too  bad,  remain  at  Monza.  I  should 
like  to  spend  a  few  days  there.  I  send  you  by  the 
courier,  to-day,  some  toys  for  the  little  ones ;  kiss  them 
both  from  Papa,  and  receive  the  assurance  of  my  loving 
tenderness." 

Eugene  comforted  himself  with  the  hope  of 
his  approaching  return;  he  could  only  think  of 
his  beloved  ones,  and  he  consecrated  every  spare 
moment  which  the  duties  of  his  high  position 
left  him,  to  making  all  kinds  of  purchases  in 
Vienna.  Who  can  read  the  passionately  loving 
words  which  terminate  the  following  letter  with- 
out being  affected  ? 

Vienna,  October  1,  1809. 

Nothing  new  for  the  last  two  days,  my  dear  Augusta. 
The  Emperor  is  still  in  conference  with  the  Austrian 
generals,  and  I  hope  all  will  soon  be  settled  satisfactorily. 

I  still  cling  to  the  hope  that  I  shall  be  with  you  on 
Saint  Hubert's  day.  I  have  bought  you  some  beautiful 
pearls,  toys  for  the  little  ones,  and  I  still  hope  to  pur- 
chase a  good  piano  for  you. 

To  occupy  myself  with  you  is  the  relaxation  of  my 
days,  as  to  love  you  is  the  happiness  of  my  whole 
life. 

In  the  following  lines  the  same  passionate 
desire  to  clasp  his  adorable  wife  in  his  arms  once 
more,  and  the  loving  thoughts  which  fill  his 
mind,  are  delightfully  depicted  :  — 


94         THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Vienna,  October  6,  1809. 
Everything  is  progressing  fairly  well:  detachments 
of  the  Guard  had  set  out,  en  route  to  Munich ;  but  the 
Austrian  plenipotentiaries  showed  a  cloven  foot,  and 
they  were  recalled.  However,  this  evening  the  news 
has  gone  around  that  peace  will  be  signed  in  two  days. 
In  forty-eight  hours  I  can  tell  you  positively,  and  per- 
haps think  of  my  own  departure.  I  do  not  speak  of 
how  much  I  think  of  you,  for  you  are  not  out  of  my 
thoughts  one  instant.  I  have  been  making  numerous 
purchases  the  past  few  days,  —  horses,  pianos,  engrav- 
ings, porcelains ;  these  last  are  for  you,  and  I  hope  they 
will  please  you. 

VI. 

The  good  news  which  was  to  bring  such  hap- 
piness to  Eugene  and  his  sweet  wife  was  at  last 
announced.  Peace  was  signed,  and  he  hastened 
to  acquaint  the  Princess  on  the  14th  of  October. 
But,  alas !  nothing  in  this  world  keeps  pace  with 
the  yearnings  of  love.  Eugene  was  constrained 
to  have  still  more  patience,  for  Napoleon  had 
need  of  him.  He  was  obliged  to  remain  with 
the  army  until  the  ratifications  were  exchanged, 
to  review  the  troops,  to  pacify  the  Tyrol,  to 
organise  the  States  wrested  from  Austria,  be- 
fore the  sun  rose  on  the  ardently  desired,  long- 
looked-for  day  of  reunion :  — 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        95 

Vienna,  October  15,  1809. 
Yesterday  peace  was  signed,  my  dear  Augusta;  this 
should  free  you  from  all  worry,  and  I  hope  your  health 
will  be  better  in  consequence.  All  you  have  to  think 
about  now  is  the  happiness  of  meeting.  This  happiness, 
if  retarded  for  the  moment,  cannot,  however,  be  delayed 
much  longer.  I  received  new  instructions  from  the 
Emperor  this  morning.  He  leaves  to-morrow,  but  he 
has  ordered  me  to  remain  in  Vienna  until  after  the 
ratifications,  and  to  review  the  several  divisions;  thus, 
you  see,  I  shall  be  detained  several  days.  Afterwards 
the  Tyrol  must  be  pacified,  the  newly  conquered  States 
organised ;  and  His  Majesty  has  charged  me  with  all  this. 
But  I  can  assure  you  I  will  get  through  as  quickly  as 
I  can.  I  hope  to  be  at  Klagenfurth  on  the  25th  of  the 
month,  where  I  shall  be  obliged  to  remain  for  several 
days.  I  will  keep  you  informed  of  my  movements 
every  day.  I  am  filled  with  joy  in  thinking  that  I  am 
drawing  nearer  and  nearer  to  you  daily.  I  have  written 
to  the  Minister  of  Public  Worship  to  have  a  Te  Deum 
sung  throughout  Italy.  It  would  be  well  for  you  to  have 
one  sung  in  your  private  chapel.  If  the  weather  becomes 
too  bad,  and  you  can  no  longer  remain  in  the  country, 
I  think  you  had  better  return  to  Milan.  It  is  very  damp 
and  chilly  here  already.  You  cannot  imagine  how  busy 
I  am  and  will  be.  Nearly  all  my  men  move  as  soon  as 
the  ratifications  arrive. 

On  his  arrival  at  Klagenfurth,  that  pretty  little 
capital  of  Carinthia,  —  one  of  the  most  pictu- 
resque spots  in  Austria,  —  a  new  and  grave  ob- 


g6         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

stacle  faced  him,  and  threatened  to  delay  the 
moment  of  his  well-earned  repose.  Far  from 
quieting  down,  the  insurrection  started  in  the 
Tyrol  by  Austria's  perfidy  seemed  to  take  a  new 
life.  Was  Eugene  to  be  detained  in  quelling  a 
revolt,  instead  of  joining  his  loved  ones  ? 

Klagenfurth,  Morning  of  the  27th  of  October,  1809. 
Here  I  am  at  Klagenfurth,  my  dear  Augusta.  I  shall 
remain  here  until  to-morrow,  because  the  troops  I  am 
to  take  into  the  Tyrol  will  not  reach  here  until  then. 
When  the  people  know  that  peace  has  been  signed,  I 
hope  they  will  listen  to  reason,  and  we  shall  not  need  to 
use  force.  In  any  case,  the  result  is  certain.  The  Em- 
peror has  placed  three  divisions  of  my  army  at  my  dis- 
posal,—  the  division  stationed  at  Trente,  and  the  three 
Bavarian  divisions  which  are  at  Schlesburg,  and  which 
have  already  commenced  moving  towards  Innspruck. 
I  like  to  think  that  I  shall  not  need  to  make  use  of  all 
my  forces.  I  am  not  more  than  two  days  distant  from 
you,  my  beloved  one,  and  my  fondest  hope  is  soon  to 
be  still  nearer  to  you.     Adieu. 

The  Princess,  as  impatient  at  this  enforced 
separation  as  Eugene,  proposed  to  join  him  if  he 
was  to  be  further  prevented  from  joining  her. 
Uncertain  of  the  turn  affairs  might  take,  he  had 
the  courage  to  refuse  this  loving  offer,  or  at  least 
to  delay  its  execution  :  — 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        97 

"  Our  letters  will  take  only  two  days  in  reaching  us. 
I  am  only  two  days  and  a  half  journey  from  you,  and 
I  hope  soon  to  be  able  to  join  you,  if  only  for  a  few 
days.  It  is  better  for  you  to  wait  for  me.  If  I  find  I 
cannot  go  to  Milan,  I  will  endeavour  to  arrange  some 
way  by  which  you  can  come  to  me." 

Unhappily  the  insurgent  Tyrolese,  carried  away 
by  the  voice  of  their  chief,  Andreas  Hofer,  the 
intrepid  innkeeper  of  whom  I  shall  speak  later, 
showed  no  intention  of  laying  down  their  arms. 
The  prospect,  when  so  short  a  distance  separated 
him  from  Milan,  caused  Eugene  great  grief :  — 

Villach,  November  2,  1809. 
I  received  very  good  news  from  the  Tyrol  this  even- 
ing, my  dear  Augusta.  General  Baraguay  d'Hilliers  an- 
nounces that  he  hopes  to  enter  Linz  without  firing  a 
gun.  I  have  hastened  to  inform  the  Emperor  of  this 
fact,  in  order  to  hurry  my  return  to  Milan.  You  can- 
not imagine  how  distasteful  and  tiresome  this  country  is 
to  me.  I  worked  all  day  yesterday;  I  passed  half  an 
hour  last  evening  with  my  staff;  and  they,  poor  fellows, 
had  great  difficulty  in  concealing  their  yawns.  I  played 
a  game  of  chess  with  Triaire,  and  retired  at  eleven 
o'clock,  in  very  bad  humour  with  the  cold,  the  bad 
weather,  my  present  occupation,  and  my  enforced  ab- 
sence from  you. 

After  an  interval  of  three  days,  he  writes,  — 
VOL.  1.  —  7 


98         THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Villach,  November  5,  1809. 

To-day  is  the  feast  of  Saint  Hubert,  my  very  dear 
Augusta.  Just  a  year  ago,  we  spent  such  a  delightful 
morning  together  at  the  Villa  Augusta.  Here,  we  are 
not  only  not  hunting  game  to-day,  but  we  are  at  a  loss 
how  to  chase  away  the  ennui  which  is  tormenting  us. 
I  say  us,  for  I  can  see  the  gentlemen  of  my  staff  yawn- 
ing from  morning  until  night ;  and  if  it  were  not  for 
the  ten  or  twelve  hours  of  work,  I  should  be  doing 
likewise. 

I  have  not  yet  received  my  courier  from  Linz  this 
morning.  If  the  Tyrolese  quiet  down,  I  hope  to  get 
away  from  here  before  long.  I  am  anxious  to  embrace 
you  and  my  two  little  ones,  but  in  waiting  for  this  hap- 
piness I  send  all  three  a  million  kisses. 

That  same  day  Eugene  wrote  the  Princess  a 
long  letter  on  the  subject  of  the  reproaches  made 
to  him  by  his  father-in-law,  the  King  of  Bavaria, 
apropos  of  his  proclamation  to  the  Tyrolese. 

To  comprehend  the  difference  which  had  arisen 
between  the  King  of  Bavaria  and  Eugene,  I  must 
say  a  few  words  as  to  the  origin  and  progress  of 
the  Tyrolese  insurrection.  The  Tyrol  had  be- 
longed to  Austria  until  Napoleon  had  forced  the 
vanquished  Emperor  to  cede  it  to  his  ambitious 
ally,  the  King  of  Bavaria,  at  the  Treaty  of  P res- 
burg,  shortly  after  the  electorate  had  been  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  a  kingdom.     Austria,  secretly 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         99 

hoping  to  reconquer  the  Tyrol,  had,  by  means  of 
agents,  fermented  a  national  revolt.  Vanquished 
anew,  she  had  abandoned  the  poor  Tyrolese  to 
their  fate.  Eugene,  whose  natural  kindness  of 
heart  always  leaned  towards  humanity  and  clem- 
ency, first  tried  means  of  conciliation.  He  issued 
a  proclamation  to  the  people  of  the  Tyrol,  in 
which,  though  demanding  their  submission,  he 
promised  the  insurgents  "  to  hear  their  grievances 
and  listen  to  their  requests." 

"  Tyrolese,"  he  said,  with  great  nobility,  "  if 
your  grievances  are  well  founded,  I  promise  you 
that  justice  shall  be  done  you ! " 

This  proclamation,  strictly  conforming  to  Na- 
poleon's views,  grated  on  the  exaggerated  suscep- 
tibilities of  the  King  of  Bavaria.  The  Princess 
Augusta's  father  looked  upon  the  Tyrolese  as 
rebellious  subjects,  unworthy  of  clemency,  and 
needing  extreme  measures  to  recall  them  to  their 
duty. 

My  Beloved  Son,  —  You  should  remember  that  in 
acquiescing  to  these  demands  to  listen  to  the  grievances 
of  the  Tyrolese,  you  degrade  my  sovereignty.  This 
is  not  the  proper  language  to  use  to  rebellious  sub- 
jects; it  encourages  them  to  rebel  again  at  the  first 
opportunity. 


IOO       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

This  was  not  Eugene's  view  of  it,  and  he  ex- 
plains his  actions  thus  to  the  Princess :  — 

Villach,  November  5,  1809. 

I  was  greatly  grieved  this  evening,  my  dear  and  good 
Augusta;  and  as  I  hide  nothing  from  you,  I  hasten  to 
acquaint  you  with  its  cause.  You  have  perhaps  read 
my  proclamation  to  the  Tyrolese.  I  venture  to  say  it 
was  good,  for  I  have  already  seen  its  effects.  As  my 
troops  advance,  the  inhabitants  retire  to  their  firesides. 
You  know  me  well  enough  to  be  certain  that  I  put 
nothing  into  that  proclamation  but  what  I  was  told  to 
say.  Certain  phrases  displeased  the  King,  and  he  wrote 
me  this  letter,  a  copy  of  which  I  enclose  you.  I  am 
very  much  hurt,  and  I  replied  to  him  this  morning.  I 
also  enclose  you  a  copy  of  my  letter,  and  deliver  my- 
self to  your  judgment.  Do  not  speak  of  this  to  any 
one,  —  it  is  not  necessary ;  but  I  must  confess  I  was 
very  angry  that  the  King  did  so  little  justice  to  my 
character. 

He  has  been  sadly  misinformed  when  he  has  been 
told  that  this  country  could  be  reclaimed  by  force. 
Kindness  was  absolutely  necessary ;  and  I  do  not  think 
that  the  dignity  of  a  sovereign  would  be  offended  in 
listening  to  the  grievances  of  a  people,  —  above  all,  as 
these  people  have  returned  in  an  orderly  manner  and 
laid  down  their  arms.  I  curse  this  mission  a  thousand 
times.  There  is  neither  honour  nor  glory  in  its  success- 
ful issue ;  and  there  is  nothing  but  disgrace  for  me,  if 
matters  turn  out  badly. 

Adieu,  my  dear,  good  Augusta ;   you  and  my  little 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       ioi 

ones  are  my  only  consolation  in  this  world.  It  is  a  cen- 
tury since  I  wrote  to  the  Empress  and  my  sister,  but  I 
have  not  conscientiously  had  the  time.  Give  them  the 
latest  news  of  me,  I  pray  you. 

The  Viceroy's  reply  to  the  King  of  Bavaria 
was  worthy  of  both  of  them.  He  wrote  as  a  son- 
in-law  should  write  to  the  father  of  a  wife  to 
whom  he  owed  all  his  happiness,  but  at  the  same 
time  as  a  man  and  a  Viceroy,  who  knew  his  real 
duties  to  the  throne.  Notwithstanding  the  length 
of  this  letter,  it  throws  so  vivid  a  light  upon  the 
nobility  of  Eugene's  character  that  I  think  it  my 
duty  to  present  it  almost  as  it  was  written : 

"  Your  Majesty  seems  to  complain  of  the  sense  of  my 
proclamation.  I  have  the  honour  of  informing  you  that 
I  was  simply  executing  the  Emperor's  orders.  I  feel 
it  my  duty  at  the  same  time  to  state  that  I  should  have 
taken  it  upon  myself  to  announce  to  these  rebellious 
people  that  I  would  listen  to  their  grievances  and  see 
that  justice  was  done  them.  It  could  not  enter  into 
my  mind  to  b  -  oblivious  to  the  dignity  of  a  throne  to 
which  I  am  bound  by  ties  of  sentiment  and  whose  glory 
will  always  be  as  dear  to  me  as  my  own.  But  I  thought 
that  the  most  essential  thing  in  an  expedition  such  as 
this  is,  was  to  succeed  and  to  prevent  as  much  blood- 
shed as  possible.  Besides,  my  aim  was  to  persuade 
them  to  grow  calm  and  to  lay  down  their  arms.  But 
in  order  to  obtain  this  end,  it  was  necessary  to  give 


102       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

them  a  ray  of  hope ;  and  it  was  this  ray  of  hope  I  held 
out  to  them  when  I  said  that  we  would  listen  to  their 
grievances  and  render  them  justice.  I  bound  myself 
to  nothing  positive  in  advance,  and  yet  it  must  be  in 
Your  Majesty's  heart  to  do  justice  to  all  your  subjects. 

"  Who  knows  whether  the  real  truth  with  regard  to 
the  Tyrolese  has  reached  your  throne?  Perhaps  some 
dishonest  agent  has  treated  these  people  as  it  was  not 
in  Your  Majesty's  heart  they  should  be  treated ;  sover- 
eignty is  not  degraded  by  listening  to  your  subjects' 
grievances !  These  people,  it  is  true,  were  armed  yester- 
day ;  but  to-day  they  are  disarmed,  and  ask  pardon  for 
their  error,  at  the  same  time  praying  that  justice  be  done 
them.  This  is  the  sense  of  my  proclamation.  I  beg 
Your  Majesty  to  pardon  me,  if  I  become  warm  over 
this  matter;  but  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  under- 
stand the  sentiments  which  animated  me  and  the  in- 
tentions which  I  entertained.  Besides,  I  have  seen 
enough  of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants  to  know 
that  you  will  gain  nothing  from  them  by  force.  If  we 
declare  war,  we  shall  only  lose  a  number  of  brave  men, 
and  conquer  in  the  end  a  country  in  ashes  and  un- 
fortunate for  centuries  to  come." 

Two  days  after  his  last  letter  to  the  Princess, 
Eugene  conceived  anew  some  slight  hopes  of 
being  at  last  reunited  to  those  who  were  dearer 
to  him  than  all  the  world.  But,  in  any  event,  his 
movements  depended  on  the  exigencies  of  his 
command.     With  this  man,  everything  —  even  to 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 03 

the  most  legitimate  aspirations  of  his  heart  — 
yielded  to  duty. 

Villach,  November  7,  1809. 
I  have  this  evening  received  very  good  news  from  the 
Tyrol.  The  disarming  is  taking  place  very  tranquilly. 
In  some  places  on  the  mountains,  our  soldiers  were  re- 
ceived by  gun-shots;  but,  following  out  my  orders,  they 
did  not  return  the  fire.  In  several  villages  the  peasants 
have  taken  up  arms  for  Bavaria.  You  see  by  this  that 
patience  and  a  desire  to  succeed,  will  put  down  any 
mutiny.  I  assure  you,  I  should  much  prefer  an  active 
campaign  than  to  recommence  a  parallel  duty.  My 
success  gives  me  great  pleasure,  and  I  am  only  awaiting 
news  from  His  Majesty.  I  hope  his  orders  will  enable 
me  to  rejoin  you  shortly.  The  nth  corps  of  the  army, 
by  orders  from  the  Emperor,  is  about  to  march  forward 
and  occupy  Frinne  and  Croatia.  If  this  takes  place 
quietly,  I  am  at  liberty  to  repair  to  Milan;  but  if  they 
have  the  slightest  trouble,  I  cannot  in  conscience  leave 
my  army  scattered  over  two  hundred  leagues  of  coun- 
try ;  and  I  must,  whether  or  no,  remain  where  I  am. 
All  this  is  supposititious  on  my  part,  and  may  never 
happen. 

Eugene's  noble  heart  revolted  at  the  idea  of 
scattering  death  among  these  ignorant  mountain- 
eers, poor  abused  peasants,  excited  by  their  priests 
and  by  Austria's  spies,  and  now  hemmed  in  by 
the  reunited  armies  of  Napoleon  and  the  King  of 
Bavaria.     Obliged  by  Napoleon's  orders  to  send 


104       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

a  corps  of  twenty-six  thousand  men,  taken  from 
the  Italian  army,  to  co-operate  in  the  Tyrol  in 
conjunction  with  the  Bavarian  army,  the  hero  of 
Raab  and  Wagram  ceased  not  to  call  this  cam- 
paign "  a  miserable  war ! "  He  had  no  other 
wish  than  to  retire,  if  this  could  be  done  con- 
sistently with  his  duties  as  Commander-in-Chief. 

His  most  earnest  desire  was  to  return  to  Milan 
in  time  for  his  fete-day,  the  15th  of  November. 
What  joy  that  would  be  for  his  beloved  wife  ! 
But  whether  this  return  was  possible  or  not,  he 
desired  that  the  Princess  should  be  happy  on 
that  day. 

Villach,  November  11,  1809,  7  p.  M. 
I  am  very  seriously  thinking  of  setting  out ;  and  you 
may  rely  upon  it  that  I  shall  exert  every  effort  to  arrive 
by  the  15th,  —  it  may  be  in  the  morning,  it  may  not  be 
until  evening.  I  am  awaiting  tidings  to-morrow  which 
will  decide  the  question.  If  it  so  happens  that  I  cannot 
reach  home  on  that  day,  I  beg  of  you  to  be  happy ;  and 
that  will  be  easy,  for  I  shall  surely  be  very  near  you 
and  ready  on  the  instant  to  clasp  you  in  my  arms. 

At  last  the  ardently  desired  moment  arrived. 
Eugene  announced  to  the  Princess  that  he  would 
set  out  at  once.  It  had  been  decided  that  the 
Italian  corps  of  the  army  which  was  to  go  into 
the   Tyrol    should   be   commanded   by   General 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      105 

Baraguay  d'Hilliers,  under  the  superior  direction 
of  the  Viceroy,  who  would  direct  its  operations 
from  Milan. 

The  following  are  the  joyful  lines  in  which 
Eugene  announces  his  departure:  — 

Villach,  November  12,  1809,  5  p.  m. 
I  am  just  about  to  get  into  my  carriage,  my  dear 
Augusta,  to  fly  to  you ;  I  send  this  letter  ahead  by  the 
courier,  who  is  in  charge  of  my  horses.  I  assure  you 
that  I  shall  follow  him  as  fast  as  possible;  you  may 
rest  assured  of  my  intense  desire  to  embrace  you ! 

Before  accompanying  Eugene  into  Italy,  I 
should  add  a  few  words  as  to  the  fate  of  these 
poor  Tyrolese,  so  cruelly  duped  by  Austria,  and 
that  of  their  audacious  chief.  After  Eugene's 
proclamation  which  I  cited  above,  Andreas  Hofer 
decided  to  lay  down  arms  and  enter  into  nego- 
tiations with  the  Viceroy.  He  wrote  him  in  the 
following  terms :  — 

"  It  needs  neither  time  nor  trouble  to  rouse  a  people 
irritated  by  oppression ;  but  it  needs  much  of  both  to 
calm  them.  A  feeble  spark  is  sufficient  to  fire  a  city,  and 
millions  of  hands  can  hardly  subdue  this  incendiarism. 

"  Monseigneur,  deign  to  hear  the  last  prayer  I  dare 
address  you:  permit  a  deputation  to  wait  on  you,  in 
order  to  recommend  the  people  of  the  Tyrol  to  your 
clemency. 


£ 


106       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"  It  is  buoyed  by  this  consoling  hope,  that  I  place  the 
expression  of  my  submission  at  the  feet  of  Your  Imperial 
Highness !  " 

In  a  second  letter  Hofer  renews  this  submis- 
sion in  still  more  explicit  terms :  — 

"  Monseigneur,  the  Tyrolese  people,  confiding  in  the 
goodness,  the  wisdom,  and  the  justice  of  Your  Imperial 
Highness,  place  through  us,  their  fate  in  your  hands. 
They  are  ready  to  lay  down  their  arms,  if  by  this  means 
they  can  obtain  your  good-will  and  protection.  They 
have  much  to  complain  of;  for  Austria,  by  her  recent 
perfidious  insinuations,  precipitated  the  insurrection !  " 

Would  any  one  believe  that  after  this  double 
submission  Hofer  would  have  again  ignited  the 
brand  of  revolt?  This  was  what  he  did,  how- 
ever. After  a  slight  success  at  Saint  Leonard,  a 
new  proclamation,  fanatic  and  inciting,  was  spread 
broadcast  over  the  Tyrol,  calling  the  people  under 
the  banner  of  rebellion. 

"  God,"  Hofer  says,  "  has  chosen  us  for  His  own 
people,  and  has  ordered  us  to  do  battle  against  a 
strange  nation,  the  most  powerful  on  earth.  We  will 
fight  like  the  chevaliers  of  old,  and  God  and  the  Blessed 
Virgin  will  give  us  their  blessing !  " 

Notwithstanding  the  desperate  resistance  of 
the  insurgents,  many  of  whom  died  at  the  point 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 07 

of  the  bayonet ;  notwithstanding  the  rocks  which 
the  enraged  mountaineers  rolled  from  great 
heights  upon  the  French  troops,  —  this  bloody 
insurrection  was  promptly  crushed  on  January 
27,  1 8 10,  and  Hofer  was  taken  prisoner. 

Eugene,  who  knew  how  to  appreciate  courage, 
was  touched  by  the  heroism  which  Hofer  had 
always  displayed  during  this  terrible  struggle. 
He  had  tried  to  save  him.  He  might  perhaps 
have  succeeded,  if  the  intrepid  mountaineer  had 
been  willing  to  take  back  his  last  proclama- 
tion. But  the  latter  preferred  to  die,  a  martyr  to 
the  cause,  and,  at  the  price  of  his  life,  pay  a  debt 
which  Austria  had  so  badly  recompensed.  Much 
against  his  own  heart,  Eugene  was  forced  to 
execute  Napoleon's  laconic  order,  which  was  a 
death-sentence :  — 

My  Son,  —  I  wrote  to  have  you  bring  Hofer  to 
Paris ;  but  since  he  is  at  Mantua,  order  a  military  court- 
martial,  have  him  tried  and  shot  on  the  spot.  Let  this 
be  a  matter  of  twenty-four  hours  only ! 

Thus  this  terrible  insurrection,  which  Eugene 
had  thought  to  quell  by  kindness,  ended  bathed 
in  blood.  This  pitiless  repression  made  a  hero, 
a  martyr,  of  Hofer,  whose  memory  the  Tyrol 
venerates  to-day ! 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Divorce.  —  Josephine's  Resistance.  —  Eugene's  Intervention. 

—  His  Admirable  Disinterestedness.  —  The  Empress  at 
Malmaison.  —  Relations  between  Josephine  and  Napoleon 
after  the  Divorce.  —  Eugene  and  Hortense's  Filial  Devotion. 

—  The  Prince's  return  to  Milan.  —  Grave  Consequences  of 
the  Divorce  for  Eugene. 

I. 

THE  cannon  which  announced  the  Viceroy's 
return  to  Milan  was  also  the  signal  for 
great  rejoicing.  The  loyalty  and  sweetness  of 
his  character  had  gained  the  affections  of  his 
subjects,  as  the  charms  of  the  Vice-Queen  had 
attracted  the  most  cordial  homage  of  her  Court. 
But  the  prominent  part  which  Eugene  had  just 
taken  in  the  last  campaign  against  Austria  had 
crowned  him  with  a  fascinating  aureole  whose 
splendour  was  reflected  on  the  happy  Princess  and 
his  government.  Alas  !  while  Eugene  awaited  in 
the  sweet  felicity  of  his  renewed  family  happiness 
the  fetes  which  were  in  preparation  all  over  the 
kingdom,  to  welcome  him  joyfully  home,  a  thun- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 00. 

derbolt  was  about  to  strike  him,  from  the  clear 
and  unclouded  sky. 

The  Treaty  at  Vienna,  in  weakening  Austria, 
which  deprived  it  of  three  millions  and  a  half 
inhabitants,  had  raised  Napoleon,  though  already 
master  of  the  Continent,  to  the  summit  of  his 
power. 

It  was  at  this  period  that  the  regret  of  having 
no  direct  heir  grew  in  the  conqueror's  heart. 
Josephine  having  had  no  children  during  the 
fifteen  years  of  their  marriage,  he  had  built 
his  hopes  at  first  on  the  eldest  son  of  Queen 
Hortense  ;  but  the  child's  death  at  the  age  of  four 
awakened  him  rudely  from  his  dream.  Napoleon 
would  gladly  have  adopted  Eugene ;  but  a  Beau- 
harnais  could  not,  as  the  Emperor  declared,  under 
these  painful  circumstances,  become  the  master 
of  the  Bonapartes.  Besides,  Napoleon's  brothers 
(especially  Joseph,  who  was  the  eldest  of  the  fam- 
ily and  was  particularly  jealous  of  his  rights)  would 
certainly  have  raised  innumerable  obstacles  in 
his  path. 

On  October  26,  hardly  fifteen  days  after  the 
Treaty  of  Vienna  was  signed,  Napoleon  gave  the 
first  evidences  to  far-seeing  eyes  of  the  resolution 
which  he  had  formed.     On  returning  to  France, 


I  IO       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

instead  of  joining  the  Empress  at  Paris,  where 
she  awaited  him,  he  stopped  at  Fontainebleau, 
where  Cambaceres,  the  arch-chancellor,  received 
orders  to  join  him.  There  was  held  a  secret  con- 
ference lasting  several  hours,  in  which  Napoleon 
declared  that  he  desired  a  direct  heir  to  his 
throne  and  power;  that  his  brothers  were  not 
fitted  to  reign,  being  profoundly  jealous  of  each 
other,  and  in  no  way  disposed  to  obey  his  suc- 
cessor if  the  direct  heir  were  not  such  a  one  as 
the  law  would  force  them  to  recognise.  During 
all  the  negotiations  he  showed  a  marked  prefer- 
ence for  Eugene,  praising  his  character,  his  ser- 
vices, his  modesty,  his  boundless  devotion,  but 
declaring  that  no  adoption  would  be  sufficient 
to  make  him  acceptable  as  the  heir  to  the 
Empire  after  his  death. 

He  was  resolved  to  obtain  a  divorce.  Cam- 
baceres protested  in  a  timid  manner  at  first, 
dwelling  on  Josephine's  popularity  and  the  fond 
remembrances  which  joined  her  past  with  that 
of  Napoleon's  at  the  dawn  of  his  marvellous 
career.  He  explained  that  the  army,  attached  to 
the  recollections  of  the  Revolution,  Would  view 
with  displeasure  a  daughter  of  the  House  of 
Hapsburg  or  Romanoff  taking  the  place  of  one 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 1 1 

who  had  wedded  the  brilliant  Republican  gen- 
eral and  mounted  step  by  step  beside  him  in  his 
grandeur.  To  all  these  objections,  Napoleon,  to 
cite  Thiers's  majestic  language,  "  replied,  as  ab- 
solute master,  whose  will  ruled  the  world,  and 
had  in  a  measure  become  destiny  itself,  '  He 
must  have  an  heir;  this  heir  obtained,  the  Empire, 
even  after  his  death,  was  permanently  founded.' " 

Josephine,  alarmed  by  this  mysterious  conduct, 
so  contrary  to  Napoleon's  usual  habits,  went  to 
Fontainebleau  in  the  afternoon.  The  Emperor, 
feeling  himself  insufficiently  prepared  to  an- 
nounce his  irretrievable  decision,  hesitated  to 
acquaint  her  with  his  determination.  He,  in  fact, 
feared  the  effect  of  Josephine's  anguish  upon 
him,  and  desired  to  await  Eugene's  arrival,  know- 
ing that  he  alone  was  capable  of  softening  the 
violent  shock  which  the  awful  truth  could  not 
fail  to  produce. 

Husband  and  wife  returned  to  Paris;  but 
Josephine,  with  that  fine  perspicacity  of  women, 
at  once  divined  the  blow  that  Napoleon  intended 
to  deal  her,  and  burst  into  tears.  Her  daughter, 
Queen  Hortense,  was  summoned.  The  two  poor 
women  at  first  attempted  to  soften  Napoleon's 
heart,  and  turn  him  from   the  dreadful  project 


112       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

which  they  foresaw.  But  what  could  their  tears 
accomplish  in  opposition  to  this  iron  will  ?  Na- 
poleon was  not  the  man,  once  his  decision  was 
made,  to  allow  himself  to  be  dissuaded  from  a 
plan,  especially  if  his  personal  ambition  was  in 
question.  Hortense  was  so  overwhelmed  by  her 
mother's  despair  that  she  would  almost  have  pre- 
ferred the  brutal  avowal  of  the  sad  truth  to  the 
torments  of  a  devouring  uncertainty. 

II. 

So  painful  a  situation  could  not  be  prolonged. 
Napoleon,  to  put  an  end  to  the  anxiety  of  all, 
decided  to  summon  Eugene,  whom  Josephine  had 
already,  in  her  great  grief,  called  to  her  aid. 

November  26,  the  Empress  wrote  to  the  Vice- 
roy of  I  taly :  — 

My  Son,  —  I  desire,  if  no  important  business  pre- 
vents you,  that  you  set  out  from  Milan  so  that  you 
can  reach  Paris  by  the  5th  or  6th  of  December.  Come 
alone,  with  three  carriages  and  four  or  five  of  your 
suite.  Pass  through  Fontainebleau.  This  is  supposing 
that  nothing  of  vital  importance  prevents  you  from 
carrying  out  these  orders." 

What  sad  days  preceded  Eugene's  arrival,  in 
this  royal  family  whose  closest  intimacy  had  been 
so  rudely  broken! 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       \  1 3 

Every  one  could  notice  the  great  change  in 
Josephine's  features  and  the  silent  restraint  of 
Napoleon.  If,  during  the  dinners  of  these  lugu- 
brious days,  between  the  26th  and  30th  of  Novem- 
ber, the  Emperor  broke  the  awful  silence,  it  was 
only  to  ask  brief  questions,  the  answers  to  which 
he  did  not  even  listen  to.  The  storm  burst  on 
Thursday  the  30th.  Their  Majesties  were  seated 
at  table  ;  Josephine  wore  a  large  white  cap,  partly 
hiding  her  face  and  knotted  under  her  chin.  She 
had  been  weeping,  and  seemed  hardly  able  to 
restrain  her  tears  in  the  presence  of  the  domes- 
tics. Her  face  was  a  living  picture  of  anguish 
and  despair.  A  deep  silence  had  reigned  during 
the  meal.  They  merely  tasted  of  the  viands 
placed  before  them  for  form's  sake.  The  only 
words  spoken  were  those  addressed  to  the  Comte 
de  Bausset,  — 

"  What  kind  of  weather  is  it?  " 

As  Napoleon  spoke  thus,  he  rose  from  the  table, 
Josephine  slowly  following  his  example.  Coffee 
was  brought  in,  Napoleon  helping  himself  to  a 
cup,  which  a  page  tendered  him,  and  signifying 
by  a  gesture  that  he  washed  to  be  alone. 

Every  one  retired ;  but  soon  were  heard  heart- 
rending cries  from  the  Emperor's  salon,  and  the 
vol.  1.  —  8 


1 14       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

voice  was  recognised  as  being  that  of  Josephine. 
One  of  the  gentlemen-in-waiting,  thinking  she 
was  ill,  rushed  to  the  door,  which  was  suddenly 
opened  by  Napoleon  himself,  and  upon  perceiv- 
ing the  Comte  de  Bausset,  he  said  quickly, — 

"  Enter,  Bausset,  and  close  the  door." 

Bausset,  entering  the  salon,  perceived  the  Em- 
press lying  prone  on  the  carpet,  moaning  and 
sobbing. 

"  No,  I  will  never  survive  it,"  she  cried. 

"  Are  you  strong  enough  to  lift  Josephine  and 
carry  her  to  her  apartments  by  the  private  stair- 
case ?  "  Napoleon  asked,  turning  to  the  Count 
"  Give  the  Empress  into  the  care  of  her  maids, 
and  see  that  she  receives  all  the  attention  her 
pitiful  condition  calls  for." 

Bausset  obeyed,  and  lifted  the  Empress,  who, 
he  thought,  was  suffering  from  an  attack  of 
hysteria.  He  carried  her  in  his  arms  with 
Napoleon's  assistance.  The  latter,  taking  a  can- 
dle from  the  table,  lighted  it  and  opened  the  door 
of  the  salon,  which  gave  upon  a  dark  passage-way 
leading  to  the  private  stairway.  Warned  at  the 
first  steps,  Bausset  observed  to  Napoleon  that 
the  staircase  was  too  narrow  to  make  it  possible 
for  him  to   descend   without  danger   of  falling. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 1 5 

The  Emperor  called  the  Keeper  of  the  Port- 
folio, whose  duty  it  was  night  and  day  to  remain 
stationed  at  the  door  of  the  cabinet,  opening  on 
this  private  stairway.  Napoleon  handed  him  the 
candle,  of  which  there  was  no  longer  any  neces- 
sity, as  the  passage-way  was  lighted,  and  then 
ordered  him  to  pass  first  and  take  the  feet  of 
the  Empress.  She  was  then  carried  down,  not 
without  great  difficulty,  and  laid  on  a  lounge  in 
her  bedroom.  The  Emperor  called  her  ladies-in- 
waiting  and  passed  out,  followed  by  De  Bausset, 
into  an  adjoining  salon,  his  agitation  and  ner- 
vousness being  extreme.  In  his  trouble  he  in- 
formed the  Count  of  all  that  had  just  happened. 

"The  interest  of  France  and  my  dynasty," 
he  declared,  "  does  violence  to  my  heart.  This 
divorce  has  become  a  stern  duty  for  me  —  I  have 
been  worried,  anticipating  the  scene  which  has 
just  occurred  —  as  I  have  been  anticipating  it  for 
three  days,  since  I  knew  the  Empress  had  been 
told  by  Hortense  of  the  unhappy  obligation 
which  condemns  me  to  separate  from  her  —  I 
pity  her  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  but 
I  thought  she  was  stronger-minded  than  that, 
and  I  was  not  prepared  for  such  a  paroxysm  of 
sorrow." 


I  1 6      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

His  emotion  forced  him  to  long  pauses  between 
each  phrase ;  his  words  escaped  him  in  an  inco- 
herent, jerky  manner;  his  voice  trembled,  and 
tears  stood  in  his  eyes.  Indeed,  he  must  have 
lost  his  usual  self-possession  to  enter  into  details 
with  a  man  so  far  removed  from  his  counsel  and 
confidence.  This  scene  did  not  last  more  than 
seven  or  eight  minutes. 

Napoleon  at  once  sent  for  Corvisart,  Queen 
Hortense,  Cambaceres,  and  Fouche,  and  before 
returning  to  his  own  apartments  went  to  assure 
himself  of  the  condition  of  Josephine,  whom  he 
found  calmer  and  more  resigned. 

When  Eugene  received  the  orders  to  repair  to 
Paris,  he  was  in  the  most  complete  ignorance  of 
Napoleon's  plans.  The  Emperor,  as  I  have 
already  said,  did  not  wish  to  take  any  official  or 
definite  steps  before  his  step-son's  arrival. 

By  a  singular  coincidence,  the  Viceroy,  return- 
ing from  Austria  to  Italy,  made  his  entry  into 
Milan  the  same  day  that  Napoleon,  with  his 
divorce  fully  resolved  upon,  had  announced  his 
intentions  to  Cambaceres  at  Fontainebleau.  The 
Municipal  Council  had  unanimously  voted,  in 
honour  of  the  Viceroy's  victories,  a  grand  ball 
at  the   Scala,  and   a  public   ball   in   the  Porto- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 1  7 

Risconosenza  Gardens.  A  solemn  Te  Deum  was 
to  be  sung  in  the  cathedral  the  next  day ;  and  the 
public  ceremony  of  dowering  sixty  young  girls,  a 
charming  idea,  emanating  from  the  Prince,  was  to 
close  the  fetes. 

But  Eugene  was  not  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of 
assisting  at  these  rejoicings.  His  sky,  so  serene, 
was  suddenly  overshadowed,  and  instead  of  thrill- 
ing with  joy  at  the  sound  of  popular  acclama- 
tions, he  was  destined  to  wipe  away  the  scalding 
tears  of  an  anguished  mother. 

III. 

The  Vice-Queen,  representing  her  husband 
during  these  fetes,  was  more  joyful  than  uneasy, 
for  she  imagined — and  not  without  reason  — 
that  perhaps  the  Emperor  had  called  Eugene,  the 
hero  of  whom  she  was  so  proud,  to  him,  to  pro- 
claim him  heir  presumptive  to  the  imperial  crown. 
What  bitter  thoughts  were  hers  when  the  first 
letter  informed  her  of  the  sad  truth ! 

A  new  alliance  on  Napoleon's  part  cast  sombre 
shadows  of  uncertainty  over  the  brilliant  present 
and  the  future  filled  with  marvellous  promise, 
which   was    offered    to   her  husband ;    an    heir, 


1 1 8       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Napoleon's  own  flesh  and  blood,  crushed  all  her 
hopes  of  the  grand  throne  of  France.  Was  it 
not  to  be  feared  even  that  the  crown  of  Italy, 
which  had  dazzled  her  eyes  before  her  marriage, 
might  not  vanish  also  like  a  deceptive  dream  ? 

To  celebrate  the  glorious  Peace  of  Vienna, 
Paris  was  given  over  to  grand  fetes  on  Napoleon's 
triumphant  return.  The  grandeur  of  these  fetes 
was  enhanced  by  the  presence  of  many  princes 
and  allied  sovereigns.  The  King  and  Queen  of 
Bavaria,  the  King  of  Saxony,  and  the  King  of 
Wiirttemberg  had  come  to  Paris  to  join  the  circle 
of  princes  of  the  Imperial  family,  of  whom  Their 
Majesties  of  Holland,  Westphalia,  and  Naples 
formed  a  part.  What  irony  in  the  contrast  be- 
tween these  sumptuous  rejoicings  and  the  misery 
which  filled  Josephine's  uneasy  soul,  devoured  by 
jealousy  and  despair! 

"I  do  not  really  know,"  writes  Mademoiselle 
Avrillon  in  her  Memoirs,  "  whether  she  was  more 
unhappy  in  the  blow  which  had  been  dealt  her,  or 
in  the  preliminaries  of  the  event  itself.  Notwith- 
standing the  conviction  of  her  future,  she  still 
nursed,  if  not  hopes,  at  least  a  vague  uncertainty 
of  thought;  and  each  time  a  minister  or  grand 
dignitary  of  the   Empire   came  to  see  her,  she 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 1 9 

plied  him  with  indirect  questions,  equally  tor- 
mented by  the  desire  to  know  her  fate,  and  by 
the  fear  of  learning  it.  But  every  one  was  dumb, 
and  only  evasive  replies  were  given  her." 

For  the  sake  of  public  opinion,  which  the  Em- 
peror was  not  ready  just  at  present  to  enlighten, 
Their  Majesties  continued  to  live  seemingly  to- 
gether ;  and  certainly  one  would  never  have 
doubted  they  were  still  united  by  bonds  of  love, 
so  courteous  and  attentive  to  every  little  want  of 
the  Empress  did  Napoleon  show  himself. 

Waiting  for  Eugene,  the  Emperor  had  re- 
quested his  sister  Hortense  to  remain  near 
Josephine.  He  hoped  that  the  generous  efforts 
of  her  two  children  would  inspire  the  Empress 
with  the  courage  to  face  the  awful  necessity  of 
the  approaching  supreme  crisis  in  a  dignified 
manner.     In  this  he  was  not  mistaken. 

The  noble  attitude  of  Queen  Hortense  during 
these  awful  days  of  waiting  was  a  guarantee  of 
her  brother's  conduct,  when  brought  face  to  face 
with  this  cruel  upheaval  of  their  fortune  and 
common  future.  She  assured  the  Emperor  that 
Josephine's  children,  satisfied  at  renouncing  the 
grandeurs  which  had  not  made  them  happy, 
would  voluntarily  consecrate  their  lives  to  con- 
soling the  best  and  tenderest  of  mothers.  . 


120      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Such  quiet  dignity,  such  grandeur  in  her  dis- 
interestedness, moved  Napoleon  deeply.  His 
eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  What  a  touching 
scene,  to  see  the  conqueror  of  the  world  weeping, 
because,  from  a  fatal  stroke  of  politics,  which  he 
was  not  strong  enough  to  resist,  he  felt  himself 
constrained  to  repudiate  the  spouse  his  heart  had 
chosen,  the  companion  of  his  earlier  glory  and 
his  best  days !  He  no  longer  commanded,  he 
implored,  Hortense  to  remain  near  him  to  assist 
Eugene  in  calming  the  agonies  of  the  woman  he 
still  loved. 

Josephine  found  herself  the  recipient  of  the  most 
tender  care  from  Napoleon,  —  attentions  which 
overstepped  their  mark  and  were  more  sorrowful 
than  beneficent  for  the  victim,  for  until  her  son's 
arrival  they  encouraged  her  to  keep  up  the  hope 
that  Napoleon  would  relent.  Nothing  definite, 
in  fact,  had  been  said ;  the  irreparable  word 
would  perhaps  never  pass  Napoleon's  lips. 

Vain  illusion,  which  Eugene's  presence  dis- 
pelled at  once ! 

Eugene's  arrival  was  preceded  by  a  little  inci- 
dent which  will  bear  repeating,  as  it  shows  into 
what  a  condition  of  over-excitement  and  suspicion 
Napoleon  had  fallen,  under  the  weight  of  the 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 2 1 

heavy  secret  which  he  desired  to  guard  at  any 
price  until  the  hour  fixed  upon  for  its  execution. 

Josephine's  cousin,  Commandant  Tascher  (later 
General  Count  Tascher  de  la  Pagerie),  was 
attached  to  Eugene's  suite  as  aide-de-camp.  As 
he  wished  to  return  to  France  to  visit  his  parents, 
the  Viceroy,  taking  advantage  of  his  work  in  the 
Tyrol,  sent  him  to  Paris  to  give  the  details  on 
the  suppression  of  the  Tyrolese  insurrection  to 
Napoleon,  and  at  the  same  time  to  see  his  cousin, 
the  Empress. 

On  arriving  in  Paris,  Tascher  went  straight  to 
the  Tuileries,  and  his  presence  was  announced 
to  the  Emperor.  What  was  his  astonishment  to 
be  asked  in  Napoleon's  most  brusque  manner, — 

"  Are  you  sent  here  by  Eugene  to  spy  upon 
my  actions  ? " 

The  young  Commandant  had  hardly  time  to 
stammer  out  a  reply,  when  Napoleon,  thinking 
he  had  already  seen  Josephine,  demanded,  "  Have 
you  seen  your  cousin  ?  " 

"  No,  Sire ;  I  have  just  arrived,  and  my  post- 
chaise  is  still  in  the  courtyard." 

This  assurance  finally  dissipated  the  Emperor's 
suspicions.  He  questioned  Tascher  for  a  few 
moments,  and  opening  a  door  leading  to  the  Em- 


122       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

press's  apartments,  dismissed  him,  saying,  "  Go 
down  ;  visit  your  cousin." 

Tascher  found  Josephine  in  her  little  salon. 
She,  upon  seeing  him,  flung  herself  into  his 
arms,  sobbing  and  crying  out,  — 

"  He  abandons  me.  He  wants  a  divorce. 
Where  is  Eugene  ?  " 

Tascher  informed  the  Empress  that  her  son 
suspected  nothing;  and  it  was  agreed  that  the 
young  aide-de-camp  should  go  to  Hortense  at 
once,  and  beg  her  to  go  forward  and  meet  Eugene 
in  order  to  prepare  him  for  the  distressing  news 
awaiting  him  on  his  arrival  in  Paris. 

IV. 

Eugene  had  left  Milan  on  the  ist  of  December. 
On  the  3d  he  wrote  his  wife  a  few  lines  from  the 
hospital  of  Mont-Cenis.  This  traveller's  billet, 
waiting  a  change  of  horses,  offers  in  itself  but  a 
secondary  interest,  but  it  proves  what  I  want  to 
establish,  and  that  is,  that  he  was  still  in  entire 
ignorance  of  the  terrible  blow  awaiting  him  :  — 

"  Here  I  am  just  arrived  at  the  Hospital  of  Mont- 
Cenis,  my  very  dear  Augusta ;  and  as  my  carriages  are 
somewhat  behind  me,  I  am  going  to  eat  a  morsel  and 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.  1 23 

indulge  in  remembrances  of  you.  The  mountain  is  very 
difficult  just  now.  It  took  the  Queen  of  Naples  three 
days  to  make  the  passage." 

The  Prince  had  the  pleasure  and  the  surprise, 
also,  of  embracing  his  sister  before  reaching 
Fontainebleau.  It  was  a  doleful  interview  which 
was  held  between  the  Viceroy  of  Italy  and  the 
charming  Queen  of  Holland,  unhappy  wife  and 
mother,  and  the  bearer  of  still  greater  news  of 
unhappiness. 

Eugene  reached  Paris  in  the  morning  of  the 
7th  of  December.  He  at  once  wrote  to  his 
wife :  — 

Paris,  December  7,  1809. 

I  arrived  this  morning,  my  very  dear  Augusta.  My 
sister  came  as  far  as  Fontainebleau  to  meet  me,  and  as  I 
would  have  reached  Paris  late  at  night,  I  preferred  to 
sleep  at  the  former  place.  I  was  very  happy  meeting 
my  dear  sister  once  more. 

I  could  not  tell  you  the  reasons  for  my  journey,  my 
beloved,  before  my  departure,  for  I  was  in  ignorance  of 
them  myself. 

After  a  resume  of  the  news  he  had  heard  from 
Hortense,  he  continues,  — 

"  It  is  indispensable  for  the  Emperor's  peace  of  mind 
that  all  this  terminate  favourably.  You  know  me  well 
enough  to  understand  the  position  in  which  I  find  my- 


124       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

self.  What  sustains  me  through  this  terrible  ordeal 
is  the  knowledge  that  I  possess  your  heart,  and  that 
your  sentiment,  like  your  soul,  is  above  all  happenings. 
I  saw  the  King  of  Saxony  at  the  Tuileries  this  even- 
ing. We  spoke  of  you  most  of  the  time.  I  will  make 
all  my  visits  of  etiquette  to-morrow ;  I  cannot  tell  when 
they  will  be  over. 

"  Adieu,  my  dear  friend ;  I  love  you  and  shall  love  you 
all  my  life,  as  well  as  our  two  children.  I  shall  be  back 
in  Milan  much  sooner  than  I  anticipated." 

His  letter  despatched,  Eugene  hastened  to 
Napoleon,  who  received  him  with  honest  affec- 
tion, pressing  him  to  his  heart  as  formerly,  and 
assuring  him  that  his  tenderness  for  himself  and 
his  mother  had  never  changed.  He  then  ex- 
plained to  him  the  State  reasons  which  obliged 
him  to  separate  from  an  unfruitful  wife,  and  to 
sacrifice  the  hopes  of  the  Prince  himself,  ex- 
plaining that  a  Beauharnais  could  never  reign 
over  the  Bonapartes. 

On  leaving  Napoleon,  Eugene,  with  a  broken 
heart,  but  firm  countenance,  sought  the  Empress. 
The  interview  was  most  touching.  His  mother's 
great  grief  seemed  somewhat  assuaged  by  the 
boundless  love  of  her  son. 

He  with  his  penetrating  judgment  needed  but 
a  glance   to   see    that  all  these   struggles  were 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       125 

telling  on  his  mother's  health,  and  that  it  was 
for  Josephine's  best  interests  to  arrive  at  a  defi- 
nite solution  quickly.  He  begged  Napoleon  to 
grant  the  Empress  a  decisive  interview  which 
would  put  an  end  to  these  uncertainties,  more 
cruel  than  the  sad  truth. 

This  interview  took  place  on  the  same  even- 
ing, and  Josephine  submitted  to  the  sacrifice 
which  the  Emperor  deemed  necessary  for  the 
welfare  of  France  ;  but  foreseeing  the  uncer- 
tain fate  of  her  children,  she  addressed  this 
supplication  to  Napoleon,  broken  by  sobs  and 
tears,  — 

"  Once  we  are  separated,  my  children  will  be 
forgotten.  Make  Eugene  King  of  Italy.  My 
mother-love  will  be  satisfied ;  your  policy  will  be 
applauded,  I  dare  predict,  by  other  nations." 

"  No,"  Eugene  interrupted ;  "  I  do  not  wish  that 
there  should  be  any  question  of  me  in  this  affair. 
Your  son  does  not  wish  a  crown  which  shall 
be  the  price  of  your  separation." 

And  sadly  he  added,  repeating  on  his  part  the 
disinterested  words  Hortense  had  uttered  a  few 
days  previous, — 

"  Our  mother  must  go  away.  We  must  go 
with  her;  and  together  we  will  expiate  in  retreat 


126      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

the  ephemeral  grandeur  which  has  been  a  sorrow 
rather  than  a  pleasure  in  our  lives." 

Napoleon,  deeply  moved  by  so  much  nobility, 
mingled  his  tears  with  those  of  Josephine  and 
her  children,  whom  he  begged  to  remain  near 
him. 

Seeing  his  mother  about  to  renew  her  suppli- 
cation to  the  Emperor  for  his  future,  in  accord- 
ance with  his  dignity  as  Viceroy,  Eugene  put  an 
end  to  it  by  words  worthy  of  the  greatness  of 
his  soul :  — 

"  If  you  submit  to  the  Emperor's  will,  it  is  you 
alone  of  whom  he  must  think." 

And  Napoleon  cried  out,  — 

"  I  recognise  Eugene's  heart.  Indeed,  he  is 
right  to  rely  on  my  love  for  him." 

Much  has  been  written  on  this  celebrated 
theme.  Numerous  versions  have  been  published, 
but  the  most  interesting  is  that  of  Madame 
Remusat :  — 

"  Eugene  had  declared  to  Napoleon  that  he  would 
accept  nothing  at  a  moment  of  such  deep  sorrow  to 
his  mother,  and  that  he  would  follow  her  into  her 
retreat,  even  to  Martinique  itself,  sacrificing  every- 
thing to  the  need  she  had  of  consolation  at  such  a 
time.  Bonaparte  seemed  struck  with  this  generous 
resolution,  though  he  listened  in  surly  silence." 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       12  J 

Constant,  who  had  overheard  a  part  of  the  con- 
versation between  Eugene  and  Napoleon,  gives 
the  following  very  curious  version :  — 

"  Several  days  after  the  festivities,  the  Viceroy  of 
Italy,  Eugene  de  Beauharnais,  arrived.  He  learned 
from  his  mother's  lips  the  terrible  step  which  circum- 
stances had  rendered  necessary.  This  confidence  over- 
whelmed him.  Troubled,  in  despair,  he  sought  His 
Majesty;  and,  as  if  he  could  not  believe  the  news  he 
had  just  heard,  he  asked  the  Emperor  if  it  were  true 
that  the  divorce  must  be.  The  Emperor  replied  by 
an  affirmative  sign,  and  with  sorrow  depicted  on  his 
countenance  he  extended  his  hand  to  his  adopted 
son. 

"  •  Sire,  permit  me  to  leave  you.' 

"'What?' 

" '  Yes,  Sire ;  the  son  of  one  who  is  no  longer  Empress 
can  no  longer  remain  Viceroy.  I  will  follow  my  mother 
into  her  retreat.     I  will  console  her.' 

"  '  You  wish  to  leave  me,  Eugene,  —  you  ?  Ah,  do 
you  not  know  the  many  imperative  reasons  which  force 
me  to  take  such  a  step?  And  if  I  obtain  this  son,  —  the 
object  of  my  dearest  desires,  this  son  so  necessary,  —  who 
will  take  my  place  to  him  when  I  am  no  longer  here? 
Who  will  stand  in  the  place  of  a  father  to  him  when  I 
am  dead  ?  Who  will  bring  him  up  ?  Who  will  make  a 
man  of  him? ' 

"The  Emperor's  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  as  he 
uttered  these  words.     He  took  Prince  Eugene's  hands 


128       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

in  his,  and,  drawing  him  to  him,  embraced  him  ten- 
derly. I  could  not  hear  the  end  of  this  very  interesting 
conversation." 

No  one  was  better  able  to  describe  to  us  the 
inmost  facts  of  Josephine's  conduct  during  this 
trying  ordeal  than  Mademoiselle  Avrillon,  her 
chief  lady-in-waiting.  In  speaking  of  the  night 
following  the  all-important  interview,  she  thus 
describes  Josephine's  condition  when  she  entered 
her  room  to  awaken  her  in  the  morning:  — 

"  As  I  approached  the  bed,  I  found  her  in  a  condition 
that  was  absolutely  pitiable:  her  eyes  were  red  and 
swollen,  and  were  mute  witnesses  of  the  tears  she  had 
shed  during  the  night.  Then  it  was  that  she  told  me 
all  that  had  passed  the  night  before;  she  said  the 
Emperor  had  declared  that  he  had  decided  upon  a 
divorce,  and  every  word  she  uttered  was  interrupted  by 
her  sobs.  I  could  not  restrain  a  cry  of  surprise,  which, 
happily,  was  not  heard  outside.  The  sorrow  which  I 
showed  on  learning  this  sad  truth  put  me  in  a  con- 
dition of  despair  which  I  did  not  understand  myself, 
for  the  Empress  in  turn  tried  to  console  me. 

"  She  excused  the  Emperor,  against  whom,  in  the 
first  moment  of  my  surprise,  an  expression  of  anger 
had  escaped  me.  •  He  is  disconsolate,'  she  said,  '  at 
the  idea  of  separating  from  me;  he  has  told  me  so 
himself;  he  has  given  me  proofs.  He  wept  as  he  said, 
"  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  sacrifices  I  have  had  to  make 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 29 

for  France."  He  told  me  that,'  repeated  Her  Majesty, 
and  with  what  a  persuasive  tone  she  spoke  !  '  Yes ;  I 
know  he  must  have  an  heir  to  his  glory,  a  child,  who 
shall  live  after  him  and  consolidate  his  Empire.  I 
cannot  doubt  his  love  for  me.  He  has  sworn  that  he 
will  never  oblige  me  to  leave  France.'" 

During  these  painful  emotions  and  about  the 

time  of   the   official   ratification   of   the   divorce 

by  the  Senate,  Eugene  received   from  his  wife 

this  beautiful  letter,  in  which  the  heart  of  the 

Vice-Queen  reached  the  grandeur  of  that  of  her 

husband :  — 

Milan,  December  13,  1809. 

I  do  not  know  what  I  wrote  you  yesterday,  my  dear 
and  well-beloved  husband:  the  news  of  the  divorce 
overwhelmed  me ;  my  sorrow  is  greater  because  I  suffer 
for  you.  I  picture  your  sad  position ;  and,  though  far 
from  you,  I  can  see  the  joy  and  triumph  depicted  on 
the  countenances  of  our  enemies.  But  they  cannot 
do  you  the  injury  they  would,  because  they  cannot  take 
away  your  spotless  reputation  and  your  conscience  with- 
out reproach.  You  have  not  deserved  these  misfortunes. 
I  say  "  these,"  as  I  suppose  they  are  preparing  others 
for  us;    I  am  prepared  for  anything. 

I  regret  nothing  if  your  love  still  remains  to  me ; 
on  the  contrary,  I  should  be  happy  to  prove  to  you  that 
I  love  you  for  yourself  alone.  I  cannot  write  to  your 
poor  mother;  what  should  I  say  to  her?  Assure  her  of 
my  love  and  respect.  You  say  your  return  is  near. 
vol.  1.  —  9 


1 30      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

These  words  assuaged  my  sadness,  and  I  await  you  with 
impatience.  Do  not  for  one  moment  believe  that  I  will 
let  myself  be  beaten.  No,  my  Eugene;  my  courage 
equals  yours,  and  I  am  anxious  to  prove  to  you  that  I 
am  worthy  to  be  your  wife.  Adieu,  dear  husband; 
continue  to  love  me,  and  believe  and  trust  in  the  love 
which  I  consecrated  to  you  till  the  hour  of  my  death. 

V. 

M.  de  Meneval,  private  secretary  to  the  Em- 
peror, and  a  witness  to  the  inner  life  of  the 
Tuileries  during  the  weeks  which  preceded  the 
formal  act  of  dissolution  of  the  imperial  marriage, 
thus  speaks  of  the  relations  between  Napoleon 
and  Josephine  and  their  condition  of  mind  during 
this  critical  period :  — 

"  Painful  as  these  fifteen  days  must  have  been  to  both, 
they  nevertheless  appeared  very  short  to  Josephine, 
who  could  not  accustom  herself  to  the  idea  of  losing  her 
rank  as  reigning  Empress,  and,  above  all,  to  the  separa- 
tion from  Napoleon,  whom  she  loved  devotedly. 

"  The  Emperor  softened  these  last  moments  of  their 
union  by  acts  of  affectionate  attention.  He  occupied 
himself  with  her  future,  gave  her  advice,  and  forestalled 
all  her  desires.  Josephine  possessed  an  irresistible 
attraction ;  she  was  not  regularly  beautiful,  but  she  was 
endowed  with  a  grace  much  more  attractive  than  beauty, 
as  our  good  La  Fontaine  puts  it. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       I  31 

"  She  had  the  soft  languor,  the  supple,  elegant  move- 
ments, and  the  negligence  of  the  Creoles.  Her  temper 
was  equable,  sweet,  kind,  affable,  and  indulgent  to  every 
one  without  excepting  any  person." 

To  arrange  the  legal  forms  and  ceremonials 
of  the  divorce,  Napoleon  held  a  second  interview 
with  Cambaceres,  in  which  the  smallest  details 
were  decided  upon.  The  Emperor  declared  that 
"  Josephine's  future  should  be  magnificently  as- 
sured. She  should  have  a  palace  in  Paris,  a 
princely  residence  in  the  country,  an  income  of 
three  million  francs,  and  the  first  rank  among 
princesses  after  the  future  reigning  Empress.  He 
proposed  to  keep  her  near  him,  as  his  best  and 
most  loving  friend." 

On  the  15th  of  December,  the  great  sacrifice 
was  finally  consummated.  In  the  Emperor's 
cabinet  were  assembled  Napoleon,  Josephine, 
King  Louis,  King  Jerome,  King  Murat,  the 
Queens  of  Spain,  Naples,  Holland,  and  West- 
phalia, Napoleon's  mother,  his  sister  Pauline,  and 
Prince  Eugene.  Napoleon,  with  tears  in  his  eyes, 
explained  to  the  princely  family  gathered  together 
the  political  necessity  of  his  divorce.  Speaking 
of  Josephine,  he  said  with  a  touching  emotion  and 
absolute  sincerity:  — 


132       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"  She  has  embellished  fifteen  years  of  my  life,  the 
remembrance  of  which  will  remain  for  ever  engraved  on 
my  heart.  She  was  crowned  by  my  hand,  and  I  desire 
that  she  shall  preserve  the  rank  and  the  title  of  Empress, 
but,  above  all,  that  she  never  doubt  my  sentiments, 
and  that  she  look  upon  me  always  as  her  best  and 
dearest  friend." 

After  Napoleon's  words,  Josephine  made  an 
effort  to  reply  to  the  Emperor's  declaration. 
Alas !  notwithstanding  all  her  efforts  at  self-con- 
trol, long  and  frequent  sobs  strangled  her 
utterances. 

Comte  Regnault  de  Saint-Jean  d'Angely,  who 
held  the  position  of  Officer  of  Civil  State  for 
the  imperial  family,  was  obliged  to  come  to  her 
assistance,  and  in  a  flood  of  tears,  her  voice  broken 
by  sobs,  she  said,  — 

"With  the  permission  of  my  august  and  beloved 
husband,  I  owe  it  to  him  to  declare  that,  having  no  hope 
of  having  children  who  could  satisfy  the  needs  of  his 
policy  and  the  interests  of  France,  I  am  glad  to  be  able 
to  give  him  the  greatest  proof  of  affection  and  devotion 
which  any  woman  on  earth  has  ever  given.  I  owe 
everything  to  his  bounty ;  his  hand  crowned  me,  and 
from  the  height  of  this  throne  I  have  always  received 
proofs  of  affection  and  love  from  the  French  people. 

"  I  believe  I  understand  his  sentiments  in  consenting 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 33 

to  the  dissolution  of  a  marriage  which  is  an  obstacle  to 
the  welfare  of  France,  which  deprives  it  of  the  good 
fortune  of  being  one  day  governed  by  the  descendants 
of  a  great  man  so  evidently  raised  up  by  Providence  to 
obliterate  the  evils  of  a  terrible  revolution,  and  re- 
establish the  church,  the  throne,  and  social  order.  But 
the  dissolution  of  this  marriage  will  never  change  the 
sentiments  of  my  heart.  The  Emperor  will  always  have 
in  me  his  best  friend.  I  know  how  this  act,  demanded 
of  him  by  politics  and  his  great  interest,  has  racked  his 
heart,  but  both  of  us  glory  in  the  sacrifice  we  are 
making  for  our  country." 

Napoleon  tenderly  embraced  Josephine  for  the 
last  time  in  her  life,  and  led  her  half  fainting  to 
her  children's  arms. 

What  poignant  emotions  must  have  been 
Eugene's  during  this  never-to-be-forgotten  scene ! 
All  was  not  finished  for  him,  however,  and  he 
must  drink  the  bitter  chalice  to  the  dregs.  The 
Senate,  called  together  in  solemn  session,  pro- 
nounced the  dissolution  of  the  marriage, — fatal 
sentence,  which  not  only  was  the  Prince  con- 
strained to  hear,  but  to  which  he  was  obliged  to 
reply  in  his  mother's  name,  that  of  his  sister,  and 
his  own.  In  a  firm,  manly  voice  and  a  noble 
modesty  and  touching  simplicity,  which  deeply 
moved  the  assembly,  he  expressed  himself  in  the 
following  words :  — 


134       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"  My  mother,  my  sister,  and  myself  owe  everything 
to  the  Emperor.  To  my  sister  and  myself  he  has  been 
a  real  father,  and  he  will  find  in  us  for  ever  devoted 
children. 

"  It  is  necessary  to  the  glory  of  France  that  the 
founder  of  the  Fourth  Dynasty  should  grow  old  sur- 
rounded by  direct  heirs,  who  will  be  our  guarantee  to 
all  as  a  pledge  for  the  glory  of  our  country. 

"  When  our  mother  was  crowned  before  the  whole 
nation,  by  the  hands  of  her  august  husband,  she  con- 
tracted the  obligation  to  sacrifice  her  affections  to  the 
interests  of  France.  She  has  fulfilled  the  first  of  these 
duties  with  courage,  nobility,  and  dignity.  Her  heart 
has  often  been  touched  in  seeing  the  heart  of  this  man, 
accustomed  to  commanding  fortune  and  marching  firmly 
forward  to  the  accomplishment  of  his  designs,  the  prey 
to  melancholy  longings  for  a  direct  heir.  The  tears 
which  this  resolution  has  cost  the  Emperor  are  recom- 
pense enough  for  my  mother !  " 

The  French  Senate,  though  devoted  to  Napo- 
leon, was  so  moved  by  Prince  Eugene's  speech, 
and  so  touched  by  his  noble  attitude,  that  some 
members  moved  to  send  a  deputation  to  carry 
their  condolences  to  the  Prince ;  but  other  mem- 
bers observed  that  such  a  step  might  be  misinter- 
preted. A  large  number  of  the  senators  went 
singly  and  presented  their  condolences.  Visitors 
of  all  kinds  flocked  to  the  Viceroy.     The  most 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      135 

touching  as  well  as  the  most  honourable  interest 
was  manifested  in  his  welfare. 

The  next  day,  Eugene  accompanied  Josephine 
to  Malmaison. 

"  It  had  been  decided  upon  in  advance,"  as 
Mademoiselle  Avrillon  relates  on  this  subject, 
"  that,  the  day  after  the  divorce,  Their  Majesties 
should  leave  Paris,  —  the  Emperor  for  Trianon, 
the  Empress  for  Malmaison.  From  early  morning 
of  our  last  day  at  the  Tuileries,  we  were  all  astir, 
to  lend  what  aid  we  each  could  to  the  prepara- 
tions necessary  for  a  departure  which  was  for  ever. 
I  remained  in  the  Empress's  apartments  for  a 
long  time,  helping  to  pack  her  belongings:  her 
children  were  with  her;  they  never  left  her. 
Prince  Eugene  forced  himself  to  appear  at  ease 
and  affected  a  brave  mien ;  he  even  tried  to  force 
a  gaiety  which  was  far  from  his  heart." 

At  last  the  inexorable  hour  of  departure 
sounded,  and  Josephine  crossed  the  threshold  of 
the  Tuileries  for  the  last  time.  Dethroned  sov- 
ereign, banished  wife,  she  left  for  ever  this  place 
which  she  had  entered  in  a  blaze  of  glory  to  share 
a  throne,  the  most  brilliant,  perhaps,  upon  which 
any  woman  had  ever  sat.  With  what  a  flood  of 
distressing  thoughts  this  broken  heart  was  over- 
whelmed ! 


136       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Eugene's  place  after  those  days  of  agony  was 
near  his  mother,  and  he  remained  at  Malmaison. 
Sad,  indeed,  were  the  first  hours  passed  by  Jose- 
phine in  that  dear  spot  hallowed  by  such  sweet 
memories  ! 

Mademoiselle  Avrillon  writes  of  them  thus  : 

"  The  first  day,  but  especially  the  first  night,  was 
extremely  painful.  The  Empress  was  plunged  in  deep 
affliction,  but  Her  Majesty  was  not  ill.  I  remained  near  * 
her  the  greater  part  of  the  night.  Sleep  was  impossi- 
ble, and  time  passed  as  we  conversed  sadly.  A  great 
grief  held  her  in  its  grasp.  No  doubt  she  deplored 
her  fate,  but  in  such  sweet  terms,  in  so  resigned  a 
manner,  that  everything  which  has  been  said  to  the 
contrary  is  pure  invention.  No  bitterness  entered  into 
her  discourse,  even  during  this  first  night,  in  which  the 
blow  which  had  struck  her  was  so  recent;  she  spoke 
of  the  Emperor  with  the  same  respect  and  the  same 
affection  as  in  the  past." 

Eugene  displayed  during  these  sorrowful  hap- 
penings a  loftiness  of  soul  which  did  not  belie 
for  one  instant  the  abnegation  and  calm  serenity 
which  are  found  in  this  letter  to  his  wife:  — 

Paris,  December  16,  1809. 
It  was  impossible  for  me  to  write  to  you  yesterday, 
my  dear  Augusta,  as  I  remained  with  the  Empress  until 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 37 

midnight.  At  last  this  separation  between  the  Em- 
peror and  my  mother,  which  has  been  a  subject  of 
conversation  with  the  public  for  so  long  a  time,  has  been 
an  accomplished  fact  since  yesterday  evening.  A  fam- 
ily gathering  was  held  at  the  Tuileries.  The  Emperor 
explained  the  reasons  which  necessitated  the  step  he 
had  taken,  of  separating  from  his  wife,  and  commanded 
the  sacrifice;  the  Empress  replied  with  *  nobility  and 
dignity  and  with  the  most  touching  sensibility.  The 
Arch-Chancellor  drew  up  the  prods-verbal  of  the  stance, 
and  we  all  signed  it 

This  morning,  I  repaired  to  a  special  meeting  of  the 
Senate ;  and,  carrying  out  the  Emperor's  wishes,  I  ex- 
plained the  sentiments  which  had  animated  my  family 
in  these  circumstances.  Everything  passed  quietly,  and 
the  Empress  displayed  the  greatest  courage  and  resig- 
nation. To-morrow  or  the  day  after,  a  full  account 
of  the  proceedings  will  be  published  in  the  papers,  and 
you  will  see  it.  The  Emperor  goes  to  Trianon,  the 
Empress  to  Malmaison,  and  I  set  out  at  once  to  re- 
join you.  Adieu,  my  very  dear  Augusta;  I  love  you 
and  my  two  little  ones  beyond  any  words. 

At  that  moment,  when  Eugene,  upon  leaving 
the  senate-chamber,  penned  the  foregoing  lines 
from  Paris  to  the  Princess,  she  wrote  the  follow- 
ing words,  so  full  of  noble  resignation,  as  though 
their  thoughts  were  mingled  through  the  realms 
of  space  in  a  common  sentiment  of  heroic  abne- 
gation, placed  high  above   human  illusions :  — 


138       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Milan,  December  16,  1809. 

I  am  resigned  to  everything,  and  submit  myself  to 
the  will  of  God ;  your  greatness  of  soul  may  astonish 
many,  but  not  your  wife,  who  loves  you,  if  such  a  thing 
is  possible,  more  than  ever.  I  will  prove  to  you,  dear 
Eugene,  that  I  have  not  less  courage  or  strength  of 
character  than  you  have,  though  I  was  forced  to  be  far 
from  you  during  these  sad  events.  The  little  ones  are 
well;    God  knows  what  their  future  will  be. 

Adieu,  best  of  husbands;  remember  that  my  only 
desire  is  to  do  what  you  would  wish  me  to,  and  to  give 
you  proofs  of  my  tenderness,  which  will  only  end  with 
the  life  of  your  faithful  wife. 

This  letter  had  barely  time  to  cross  the  Alps 
before  Eugene  seemed  to  anticipate  it,  he  had 
so  much  faith  in  his  wife's  goodness  of  heart, 
which  he  knew  he  possessed  entirely. 

The  day  after  his   arrival   at    Malmaison   he 

wrote  as  follows  :  — 

Malmaison,  December  17,  1809. 
We  have  been  at  Malmaison  since  yesterday  even- 
ing, my  very  dear  Augusta.  If  the  weather  had  been 
better,  we  should  have  passed  a  more  cheerful  day;  but 
it  has  poured  ever  since  we  arrived.  The  Empress  is 
well.  Her  grief  was  very  acute  this  morning,  upon  see- 
ing once  more,  under  such  sad  circumstances,  the  spots 
where  she  had  passed  so  many  happy  days  with  the 
Emperor;  but  she  soon  regained  her  courage,  and  is, 
in  a  measure,  resigned  to  her  new  position.     For  my 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      139 

part,    I   firmly   believe   she   will   become   happier  and 
more  tranquil. 

We  received  several  visits  this  morning.  Every  one 
is  speaking,  so  they  tell  us,  in  Paris  of  our  courage  and 
the  Empress's  resignation.  They  would  be  fools  who 
believed  for  one  moment  that  I  regretted  any  favour  or 
elevation.  I  hope,  by  the  manner  in  which  I  bowed  to 
circumstances,  I  shall  convince  even  the  most  incredu- 
lous that  I  am  above  all  that.  I  will  not  hide  from 
you  that,  during  all  these  miserable  days,  I  have  had 
but  one  worry,  and  that  was  that  this  event  would  cause 
you  sorrow.  You  should  have  seen  a  full  account  of 
this  affair  in  the  Moniteur  of  this  morning ;  I  hope  to 
be  in  Milan  soon,  and  then  you  will  tell  me  frankly 
what  you  think  of  the  whole  matter. 

A  week  passed,  and  Josephine's  grief,  though 
still  great,  was  not  so  poignant.  A  visit  from 
Napoleon  seemed  to  have  solaced  her  a  little; 
and  Eugene  appeared  sensible  of  the  kindness 
shown  his  mother  by  the  Emperor:  — 

Malmaison,  December  26,  1809. 
My  dear  Augusta,  —  The  Emperor  came  to  see 
the  Empress  day  before  yesterday.  Yesterday  she 
went  to  Trianon  to  see  him,  and  he  kept  her  to  dinner. 
The  Emperor  was  very  kind  and  affectionate  to  her, 
and  she  seems  better  in  consequence.  Everything  leads 
me  to  think  the  Empress  will  be  much  happier  in  her 
new  position,  and  we  also.  You  may  believe  me,  as  I 
view  the  matter  impartially.    I  hope  your  health  has  not 


140      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

suffered  in  consequence  of  these  new  circumstances,  and 
I  beg  of  you  to  compose  yourself.  There  is  nothing 
to  regret,  and  we  shall  always  be  happy  because  we 
shall  always  love  each  other. 

Augusta's  letters  to  her  husband  were  for  the 
latter  a  source  of  consolation  in  this  crisis  in  which 
the  future  of  the  Beauharnais  was  threatened 
with  disaster.  Each  of  the  Vice-Queen's  letters 
testified  more  strongly  to  her  strength  of  charac- 
ter, her  indifference  to  the  greatness  now  for  ever 
lost,  and  her  boundless  love  for  the  chivalrous 
husband  of  whom  she  was  so  proud.  Their  mutual 
affection  was  fostered  in  these  cruel  trials  ;  and  in 
all  truth  Eugene  could  write  December  28  :  — 

My  dear  Augusta,  —  You  are  very  good  and  very 
loving  to  write  me  the  charming  letters  which  I  have 
received.  I  am  very  happy  in  knowing  you  approve 
of  my  conduct  in  this  affair.  For  me,  I  am  proud  to 
be  your  husband,  and  I  love  you  a  hundred  times  more 
than  I  ever  imagined  I  possibly  could  do. 

VI. 

The  world  has  shown  itself  curious  as  to  the 
relations  between  Napoleon  and  the  dethroned 
Empress  during  the  first  days  following  the 
divorce.  Constant  enlightens  us  fully  on  this 
subject  when  he  tells  us  that  each  time  he  re- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       14 1 

turned  to  Paris  with  the  Emperor,  he  no  sooner 
arrived  than  he  was  sent  to  Malmaison.  He 
rarely  carried  a  letter  from  the  Emperor,  who 
only  wrote  to  Josephine  on  very  special  occa- 
sions. "  Say  to  the  Empress  that  I  am  well,  and 
that  I  desire  her  to  be  happy."  That  is  what  His 
Majesty  generally  said  to  him  as  he  saw  him  set- 
ting out. 

As  soon  as  he  arrived,  the  Empress  left  every 
one  to  talk  to  him.  He  often  remained  an  hour, 
and  sometimes  even  two  hours,  during  these 
times.  The  sole  subject  of  conversation  was  the 
Emperor.  Constant  must  tell  her  all  Napoleon 
had  suffered  while  travelling,  and  if  he  had  been 
sad  or  gay,  ill  or  well.  She  wept  over  the  de- 
tails given  her,  making  a  thousand  suggestions 
for  the  Emperor's  health  and  the  care  she  wished 
given  him. 

Prince  Eugene  prolonged  his  visit  to  his 
mother  until  she  was  somewhat  reconciled  to  her 
sad  fate.  Not  only  the  new  year  18 10  found  him 
beside  Josephine,  but  the  month  of  January  and 
part  of  February  passed  before  he  found  it  pos- 
sible to  leave  her. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  the  Princess,  whose 
tender  impatience  to  clasp  her  beloved  husband 


I42       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

in  her  arms  became  stronger  day  by  day,  wrote 
a  letter  which  is  so  charming,  and  which  so  ex- 
actly depicts  the  strength  of  the  tie  which  united 
these  loving  hearts,  that  I  give  it  in  full.  I  only 
wish  to  explain  that  the  allusion  made  to  the  fate 
reserved  by  Napoleon  for  the  Viceroy  concerned 
the  Grand  Duchy  of  Frankfort,  in  connection 
with  which  Eugene's  name  had  been  already 
mentioned :  — 

Milan,  February  7,  1810. 
The  King  of  Naples  availed  himself  of  another 
route,  notwithstanding  it  had  been  announced  that  he 
intended  to  pass  through  Milan.  I  hope  he  will  learn 
that  everything  was  prepared  to  give  him  a  reception 
befitting  his  rank  as  King.  I  flatter  myself,  my  dear 
friend,  that  you  will  not  follow  his  example,  but  will 
take  the  shortest  route  possible  to  come  here.  You 
ought  to  know  the  pleasure  your  arrival  will  give  me 
and  all  the  kingdom,  whose  uneasiness  grows  in  measure 
as  your  absence  is  prolonged.  I  have  been  very  careful 
not  to  speak  of  the  Grand  Duchy.  Any  indiscretion 
on  my  part  would  have  given  rise  to  a  general  alarm. 
Our  people  have  proved  how  much  they  love  us  in 
this  last  matter.  The  Emperor  could  not  possibly  be 
angry  with  us,  for  we  have  not  intrigued  for  that ;  and 
our  way  of  thinking  has  always  been,  and  always  will 
be,  the  same.  I  do  not  believe,  to  tell  you  the  truth, 
in  the  fate  in  store  for  us ;  but  our  confidence  should 
indemnify   us  for   a   forgetfulness  which   without   that 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      143 

would  be  painful,  and  which  you  only  inflict  upon  your- 
self on  my  account.  But  do  you  not  know  me,  my 
dear  husband,  and  do  you  not  know  that  with  you  and 
my  dear  children  I  should  always  be  happy?  I  am 
young,  but  recent  events  have  taught  me  to  appreciate 
the  real  value  of  greatness.  Thus,  do  not  worry  your- 
self on  my  account,  and  only  think  of  the  happiness 
which  will  be  mine  when  I  can  tell  you  that  I  love 
nothing  in  this  world  as  I  do  my  Eugene,  and  that  this 
sentiment  will  last  as  long  as  I  live. 

At  last  Eugene  set  out  for  Milan.  He  entered 
the  city  after  an  absence  of  two  months  and  a 
half,  February  18,  18 10.  The  elevation  of  his 
sentiments,  the  nobility  of  his  heart,  of  which  he 
gave  proof  in  all  the  painful  details  of  the  divorce, 
are  beyond  all  praise ;  and  few  men  of  his  age 
would  have  been  capable  of  them.  I  have  already 
said  that,  since  his  marriage  with  the  Princess  of 
Bavaria,  Napoleon's  promises  had  given  him  the 
right  to  consider  himself  heir  presumptive  to  the 
Crown  of  Italy,  and  even  the  eventual  heir  to 
the  imperial  throne. 

This  last  opinion  is  confirmed  by  Baron  Sarcey, 
who  was  in  a  position  to  judge  of  the  strained 
relations  of  Napoleon  with  several  members  of 
his  family. 

Eugene's   eventual  right  was   to  succeed  the 


E. 


144     THE  ROMANCE  OF    PRINCE  EUGEN. 

Emperor,  in  default  of "  a  direct  heir,  and  after 
those  of  Napoleon's  brothers.  Joseph,  the  oldest, 
was  but  thirteen  years  older  than  Josephine's  son. 
Louis  was  very  sickly  and  ill  adapted  for  a  ruler. 
Lucien,  on  account  of  his  marriage  with  the 
widow  Jouberthon,  besides  other  complications, 
had  become  estranged  from  Napoleon.  Besides, 
the  Emperor  often  had  occasion  to  complain  of 
his  brothers.  Nobody  was  ignorant  of  the  fact 
that  he  often  went  so  far  as  to  threaten  them 
with  disgrace  in  order  to  prevent  them  from  car- 
rying out  some  totally  unfit  policy.  Joseph  was 
on  such  bad  terms  with  him,  and  carried  it  to 
such  an  extent,  that  the  King  of  Spain  absented 
himself  from  the  ceremonies  of  the  divorce,  and 
shortly  afterwards  refused  to  be  present  at  the 
marriage  with  Marie  Louise,  —  a  hostile  attitude 
which  greatly  aroused  Napoleon's  anger. 

These  dissensions  in  the  bosom  of  the  imperial 
family  greatly  augmented  the  chances  which 
seemed  to  promise  a  brilliant  future  to  Eugene. 
Madame  Bonaparte  was  herself  of  this  opinion, 
as  Baron  Sarcey,  in  his  admirable  book,  the 
Mother  of  Napoleon,  tells  us  :  — 

"  Madame  Mere,  who  held  the  Empress's  son  in  high 
esteem,  saw  in  him  a  direct  successor  to  Napoleon,  in 
default  of  one  of  his  brothers,  to  his  imperial  throne." 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       145 

One  can  easily  see  what  an  immense  sacrifice 
was  imposed  on  the  young  Viceroy  by  the  divorce 
and  second  marriage.  It  was  the  double  throne 
which  Eugene  saw  vanishing  into  thin  air.  And 
what  a  throne !  But  this  resplendent  prospect, 
which  would  have  dazzled  any  other  than  this 
Prince,  had  glided  by  without  leaving  any  im- 
pression on  the  unshaken  modesty  which  was  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  traits  of  his  character. 

On  his  return  to  Milan,  Eugene,  far  from  dis- 
playing any  animosity  towards  the  Emperor  for 
the  loss  of  such  brilliant  prospects,  consecrated 
himself  with  more  zeal  than  ever  to  the  cares  of 
his  kingdom,  which  had  been  enlarged  by  the 
annexation  of  a  portion  of  the  Tyrol,  and  now 
numbered  6,500,000  inhabitants. 

A  week  had  hardly  elapsed  since  his  return 
and  his  taking  up  of  the  reins  of  government, 
when  Napoleon  made  a  formal  announcement  to 
him  of  his  coming  marriage  with  the  Arch- 
duchess Louise.  To  complete  the  irony  of  a 
cruel  fate,  three  days  later  a  second  letter  reached 
him  in  which  he  received  orders  to  repair  to  Paris 
to  assist  at  the  betrothal  of  his  adopted  father 
with  the  woman  who  was  so  soon  to  occupy  the 

place  of  a  tenderly  loved  mother. 
vol.  1.  —  IO 


146       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Paris,  February  26,  18 10. 
My  Son,  —  The  Emperor  of  Austria  having  acceded 
to  my  demands  for  the  hand  of  the  Archduchess  Marie 
Louise,  of  whose  merits  and  brilliant  qualities  I  am  fully 
cognisant,  I  have  resolved  to  fix  the  date  of  our  mar- 
riage in  Paris  for  the  29th  of  March.  I  have  sent  the 
Prince  de  Neuchatel  to  assist  as  my  witness  at  the 
marriage  ceremony,  which  will  take  place,  March  6, 
at  Vienna,  by  proxy,  to  enable  the  Empress  to  reach 
Compiegne  the  23d,  where  I  expect  to  meet  her. 
At  this  important  event  I  have  determined  to  gather 
around  me  all  the  princes  and  princesses  of  my  family, 
and  I  now  advise  you  by  this  letter  to  allow  no  impedi- 
ment to  prevent  you  from  being  in  Paris  by  the  20th 
of  March. 

Thus  Eugene,  after  having  seen  his  mother, 
not  two  months  before,  descend  from  the  greatest 
throne  in  the  world,  was  obliged  to  assist  with  a 
still  bleeding  heart  at  the  elevation  of  the  woman 
who  was  to  succeed  her. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Prince  Eugene  refuses  the  Throne  of  Sweden.  —  Family  Life. 

—  Birth  of  the  King  of  Rome.  —  Eugene  is  summoned  by 
Napoleon.  —  Rupture  with  the  Czar.  —  The  Crown  of  Poland. 

—  Eugene  resolves  to  refuse  it,  if  it  be  offered  to  him.  —  Pros- 
pects of  Peace.  —  War  is  declared. 

I. 

FAITHFUL  to  the  promise  which  he  had 
made  officially  in  a  message  addressed  to 
the  Senate  at  the  time  of  the  divorce,  assuring 
Eugene's  future,  Napoleon  named  him  heir  to 
the  Grand  Duchy  of  Frankfort.  This  nomination 
was  accompanied  by  the  most  flattering  eulogies 
of  the  Prince.  The  following  is  an  extract 
from  the  message,  published  in  the  Moniteur  of 
March  4,  18 10:  — 

"  It  is  with  loving  eagerness  that  our  heart  prompts 
us  on  this  occasion  to  give  a  new  proof  of  our  esteem 
and  great  affection  for  a  young  Prince  whose  first  steps 
in  governing  and  in  the  army  were  taken  under  our 
direction ;  and  who,  in  the  midst  of  varied  circumstances, 
has  never  given  us  the  slightest  cause  for  discontent,  but 


148       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

who,  on  the  contrary,  has  seconded  our  efforts  with  a 
prudence  far  above  what  could  be  expected  from  his 
age,  and  in  this  last  campaign  has  displayed  at  the  head 
of  our  armies  as  much  bravery  as  knowledge  of  the  art 
of  war.  It  pleases  us  to  establish  him  firmly  in  the 
high  rank  in  which  we  have  placed  him." 

But  what  solace  were  these  praises  and  the 
expression  of  this  satisfaction  to  Eugene,  who 
found  himself  obliged  to  assist  at  the  ceremony 
which  was  a  death-blow  to  his  filial  love  ?  Napo- 
leon's marriage  to  Marie  Louise  was  set  for 
March  29.  On  the  12th,  the  Viceroy  and  his  wife 
set  out  for  Paris,  where  they  arrived  on  the  20th. 
At  that  time  the  journey  from  Milan  to  Paris 
occupied  eight  days.  At  first  they  took  up  their 
residence  in  the  Palace  of  the  Elysee,  from  which, 
forty  years  later,  one  of  their  nephews  was  to  set 
out  to  assume  again  the  imperial  purple. 

The  Princess  had  hardly  reached  Paris  when 
her  tender  heart  urged  her  to  hasten  to  Mal- 
maison  to  embrace  Josephine.  She  intuitively 
divined  how  consoling  and  soothing  her  presence 
would  be  to  the  Empress.  The  Vice-Queen, 
during  her  protracted  sojourn,  occupied  an  adjoin- 
ing apartment  to  those  devoted  to  Josephine's 
use ;  and  these  two  women,  so  different  in  their 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 49 

characters,  yet  both  sweet-tempered,  good,  sensi- 
tive, and  united  by  a  common  tie,  their  love  for 
Eugene,  spent  long,  delicious  hours  together,  — 
hours  precious  to  bleeding  hearts.  Augusta's 
presence  was  a  consolation  which  Josephine  ap- 
preciated more  fully  for  the  reason  that  she  was 
soon  to  exile  herself  to  her  chateau  at  Navarre 
near  Evreux,  so  as  not  to  be  a  drawback  to  the 
festivities  inaugurated  to  celebrate  the  Emperor's 
second  marriage. 

During  the  Empress's  sojourn  at  Navarre, 
Eugene  paid  her  several  visits ;  regarding  these 
visits,  I  have  found  some  very  interesting  notes, 
which  contain  a  faithful  portrait  of  Eugene  at 
that  time  :  — 

"  It  was  impossible  to  imagine  more  amiability  and 
good-fellowship  than  belonged  to  the  Viceroy ;  to  cap- 
tivate his  associates,  he  put  himself  out  to  be  as  amiable 
and  agreeable  as  an  humble  individual  of  no  special 
rank.  A  declared  enemy  to  etiquette,  he  tried  to  avoid 
it  here  as  much  as  possible ;  he  forbade  the  hussars  to 
announce  him,  in  order  to  spare  us  the  trouble  of  rising 
each  time  he  entered.  '  It  is  bad  enough,'  he  said,  '  to 
be  forced  to  submit  to  these  tiresome  consequences  of 
etiquette  when  I  am  in  Milan;  at  least  permit  me  to 
amuse  myself  a  little  here.  It  is  a  hard  trade  to  be  a 
king,  when  one  has  not  been  brought  up  to  it ! '    I  have 


150       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

seen  him  at  Malmaison,  crossing  the  garden  in  a  pour- 
ing rain,  to  avoid  the  ceremonious  announcement  which 
his  appearance  in  the  gallery  would  entail. 

"  His  fine,  delicate  face  lighted  up  in  an  extraordinary- 
manner  when  speaking  of  his  campaigns.  His  carriage 
was  noble  and  elegant,  and  he  never  came  without  be- 
stowing numerous  gifts ;  and,  as  Josephine  remarked 
with  all  a  mother's  pride,  every  one's  face  lighted  up 
with  happiness  on  seeing  him.  No  son  could  show 
such  a  filial  love  and  at  the  same  time  such  fatherly 
protection  towards  an  unhappy  mother.  He  could 
never  speak  of  the  period  of  his  mother's  divorce 
without  tears  in  his  eyes." 

During  the  Viceroy's  stay  in  Paris,  Napoleon, 
desirous  of  compensating  him  in  every  possible 
manner  for  the  overthrow  of  the  hopes  his  second 
marriage  had  ruined,  conceived  a  step  of  twofold 
importance,  in  an  historical  point  of  view  and  as 
showing  the  disinterestedness  of  my  hero's  char- 
acter. He  sent  Duroc,  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  to 
offer  him  the  Crown  of  Sweden.  The  Swedes, 
who,  on  one  side,  wanted  to  assure  the  succession 
to  their  childless  King,  Charles  XII.,  and,  on  the 
other,  felt  the  necessity  of  placing  over  their  gov- 
ernment, in  those  troubled  times,  a  man  who  had 
been  tried  and  found  worthy,  had  with  this  end 
in   view   made   overtures   to   Napoleon's    Court. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      151 

They  justly  argued  that  among  these  princes 
and  French  marshals  they  would  find  an  heir 
worthy  of  sustaining  the  splendour  of  the  throne 
of  Gustavus  Adolphus  and  Charles  XII. 

Baron  Darnay,  in  his  Memoirs,  thus  describes 
this  curious  incident :  — 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  bustle  of  the  wedding  fetes,  the 
Emperor  sent  the  Marshal  of  the  Palace,  Duroc,  to  the 
Viceroy,  then  living  at  the  Palace  of  the  Elysee,  to  offer 
him,  in  his  name,  the  throne  of  Sweden.  The  Mar- 
shal, an  old  friend  of  Eugene's,  employed  all  his  per- 
suasive powers,  strengthened  by  his  attachment  to  the 
Prince,  to  induce  Eugene  to  concede  to  the  Emperor's 
wish.  The  Viceroy  asserted  that  he  was  perfectly  con- 
tented with  his  present  destiny  in  Italy;  and  that  he 
feared  he  would  not  be  able  to  gain  the  esteem  of  a 
people  for  whom  he  had  done  nothing.  The  Prince 
ended  by  begging  Marshal  Duroc  to  return  his  thanks 
and  his  respectful  regrets  to  the  Emperor. 

"  The  next  day,  the  Marshal  reappeared  on  the  part 
of  the  Emperor,  and  insisted,  in  His  Majesty's  name, 
upon  Eugene's  reconsidering  the  proposition  of  the  pre- 
vious day;  he  remarked  to  the  Prince  that  the  kingdom 
of  Italy,  in  the  event  of  two  imperial  sons,  would  pass 
to  the  second ;  that  the  Prince,  by  his  fame  as  a  warrior, 
could  hardly  fail  to  please  a  brave,  warlike  nation ;  and 
that  the  virtues  of  the  Princess  Augusta  would  be  ap- 
preciated and  would  gladden  all  hearts. 

"  The  Viceroy,  having  had  all  that  day  and  the  day 


152       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

before  to  confer  with  the  Vice-Queen,  who  shared  her 
husband's  opinion,  persisted  in  his  resolutions  to  take 
all  the  chances  of  his  position ;  and  he  renewed  his  thanks 
to  the  Emperor,  praying  Marshal  Duroc  to  carry  him 
his  most  respectful  excuses. 

"  The  Emperor  remarked  to  the  Viceroy  that  same 
day  that  he  might  perhaps  be  right,  and  that  he  had  no 
ill-will  towards  him,  dropping  the  subject  from  that  day 
forth." 

It  was  so  evidently  to  Napoleon's  interest  to 
throw  the  weight  of  his  influence  in  favour  of  one 
of  the  princes  of  his  family,  or  of  a  man  whom 
he  knew  to  be  entirely  devoted  to  him,  that  his 
most  natural  choice  fell  on  Eugene,  and  for  a 
moment  the  latter's  refusal  caused  him  great 
annoyance.  This  throne  finally  fell  in  18 18  to 
Marshal  Bernadotte,  who  ascended  it  under  the 
name  of  Charles  XIV.  (Charles  Jean). 

What  influenced  Eugene  most,  perhaps,  was 
the  fact  that  he  would  be  obliged  to  change  his 
religion  before  mounting  the  steps  of  this  throne. 
In  regard  to  this  refusal  of  Eugene's,  Metter- 
nich  cites  these  significant  words  of  Napoleon 
in  the  course  of  a  conversation  on  this  delicate 
subject :  — 

"  '  The  choice  of  the  Prince  de  Ponte-Corvo  (Berna- 
dotte) presents  points  of  view  which  are  very  disagree- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       153 

able  to  me,'  the  Emperor  remarked :  '  it  compromises 
my  relations  with  Russia,  and  places  another  man  out  of 
private  life  on  a  throne,  which  is  an  injury  to  royalty. 
The  question  of  a  change  of  religion  is  not  an  indif- 
ferent one  either,  if  we  can  judge  by  the  effect  of  this 
news  on  the  Empress  Marie  Louise.  She  cried  out 
on  hearing  it,  "  What !  this  coward  gives  up  his  God 
for  a  crown?"  Thank  God  none  of  mine  were  guilty 
of  that !  I  offered  the  crown  to  the  Viceroy  of  Italy, 
who  refused  it  point-blank.'  " 

This  definitely  settles  the  fact  that  the  Crown 
of  Sweden  was  offered  to  Eugene,  —  a  fact  testi- 
fied to  by  a  witness  worthy  of  all  confidence. 
Here  are  the  words  of  a  more  recent  authority : 

"  Napoleon  placed  so  little  confidence  in  Bernadotte 
that  he  pondered  over  a  more  suitable  French  can- 
didate, and  proposed  Prince  Eugene  to  the  Swedes, 
who  were  asking  for  Bernadotte.  Eugene  was  ap- 
proached, but  not  being  willing  to  change  his  religion, 
which  was  an  indispensable  condition  for  reigning  at 
Stockholm,  he  was  forced  to  return  to  Prince  de  Ponte- 
Corvo,  who  was  not  troubled  in  the  slightest  degree  by 
the  same  scruples." 

It  is  certain  that  Eugene's  election,  as  Napo- 
leon's adopted  son,  a  ruler  whose  wisdom  and 
worth  had  been  proven  by  Italy,  would  have  been 
easier  than  that  of  Bernadotte,  who  was  far  from 
possessing  the  same  prestige  and  presenting  the 


154       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

same  guarantees.  One  word  from  the  Emperor 
would  have  been  sufficient  to  have  made  the 
Swedes  declare  in  Eugene's  favour,  while  they,  on 
the  other  hand,  in  choosing  the  Prince  de  Ponte- 
Corvo,  imagined  they  were  pleasing  Napoleon. 
As  we  have  seen,  this  choice  displeased  the  lat- 
ter, especially  as  it  compromised  his  relations 
with  the  Czar. 

As  this  is  more  a  romance  of  Prince  Eugene's 
life  than  his  political  history,  no  further  impor- 
tance need  be  attached  to  this  fact  than  the  new 
light  it  throws  upon  the  character  of  one  whom 
Thiers,  that  great  national  historian  in  his  chap- 
ter on  Napoleon's  divorce,  calls,  "  the  excellent 
Prince."  An  ambitious  man,  anxious  to  grasp  a 
sceptre,  would  he  not  have  hastened  to  accept 
the  offer  made  him?  Would  he  not  have  in- 
trigued and  moved  heaven  and  earth  to  make 
himself  the  choice  of  the  Swedes  ?  Does  not 
this  short,  decisive  refusal,  at  the  very  first  over- 
tures, prove  the  sincerity  of  Eugene's  modesty, 
and  show  that  he  only  regretted  Italy's  crown 
for  the  sake  of  his  wife  and  children  ?  This 
kingdom  of  Italy,  whose  reorganisation  had 
been  his  pride,  was  made  for  his  pleasure.  He 
would  have  preferred  to  reign  under  its  bright 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        155 

blue  sky,  over  a  people  who  had  learned  to  love 
him,  rather  than,  putting  the  question  of  re- 
ligion to  one  side,  to  bury  himself  in  an  in- 
hospitable climate,  so  far  from  his  own  land  and 
that  of  his  wife.  But  I  think  that  neither  the 
throne  of  France  of  which  his  wife  had  dreamed, 
nor  the  Crown  of  Italy  to  which  he  had  legal 
rights,  nor  the  sceptre  of  Sweden  which  Napoleon 
had  offered  him,  nor  the  purple  of  Poland  which 
was  in  question,  dazzled  him  for  one  moment. 
Eugene  had  enough  experience  of  life  to  know 
that  happiness  is  not  a  privilege  of  the  great, 
and  that  a  destiny  in  a  lower  scale,  the  love  of 
a  cherished  wife  and  the  sweet  affection  of  his 
children,  added  to  the  esteem  and  consideration 
of  the  world,  constituted  enviable  happiness  on 
this  earth. 

Besides,  by  a  sort  of  providence,  his  children, 
for  whom  alone  he  was  ambitious,  later  mounted 
the  steps  of  a  throne  or  were  allied  with  royal 
houses.  This  same  Crown  of  Sweden,  which 
Eugene  had  disdained,  was  afterwards  worn  by 
one  of  his  daughters,  the  wife  of  Charles  XV., 
Bernadotte's  son. 

The  Prince  and  Princess  took  part  in  all  the 
fetes  attending  the  imperial  marriage,  and  pro- 


156       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

longed  their  stay  in  France  until  the  month  of 
May.  They  were  present  at  the  fete  given  by 
the  Prince  de  Schwarzenberg,  which  has  gone 
down  to  history  famous  for  the  frightful  confla- 
gration which  engulfed  so  many  illustrious  victims. 
Here,  again,  Eugene's  star  appeared  to  protect 
him  by  its  mysterious  power.  The  Viceroy  had 
opened  the  ball  with  Princess  Pauline  de  Schwarz- 
enberg, wife  of  the  ambassador's  elder  brother. 
When  the  catastrophe  broke  forth,  he  found 
himself,  happily  for  him,  a  little  to  one  side  and 
behind  the  crowd.  A  chandelier  fell,  and  the 
platform,  blazing  up,  barred  his  passage.  By  a 
providential  chance  he  discovered  a  little  door 
leading  to  the  private  apartments  of  the  hotel, 
and  was  thus  enabled  to  penetrate  to  where  the 
Princess  was,  and  save  her  before  she  gained  any 
knowledge  of  her  peril.  He  not  only  saved  her 
from  harm,  but  also  spared  her  any  fright,  be- 
cause she  knew  nothing  of  the  danger  she  had 
escaped  until  she  was  clear  of  it. 

II. 

It  was  June  before  the  royal  couple  returned 
to  Italy.  The  Empress  Josephine,  who  was  at 
Aix,  joined  them  later  at  Monza,  where  Eugene 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 57 

at  once  plunged  with  renewed  ardour  into  the 
administrative  labours  of  his  kingdom. 

Eugene  and  his  wife  passed  several  happy 
months  in  their  country  home,  enjoying  a  homely 
family  life.  During  these  few  months  spent  in 
the  company  of  his  wife  and  children,  he  laboured 
ceaselessly.  He  kept  up  a  constant  correspond- 
ence with  Napoleon. 

It  does  not  enter  into  the  plan  of  this  work 
to  give  this  political  and  administrative  corre- 
spondence. I  think  it  sufficient  to  mention  that 
the  Viceroy's  indefatigable  activity  extended  to 
every  branch  of  his  government.  He  laboured 
to  enlarge  the  army  and  navy,  in  the  develop- 
ment of  public  works  and  commerce,  in  erecting 
numerous  hospitals,  in  perfecting  his  fortifica- 
tions, in  establishing  a  just  system  of  taxation, 
and  in  general  in  protecting  all  the  interests  of 
the  country  which  were  necessary.  His  hard- 
est task  was  his  struggle  against  the  inroads  of 
English  commerce  and  the  successful  defence 
of  his  kingdom  against  Napoleon's  oftentimes 
arbitrary  demands. 

December  9,  18 10,  the  happiness  of  the  Viceroy 
was  completed  by  the  birth  of  a  son :  Auguste 
Charles  Eugene  Napoleon,  who  in  1834  wedded 
Donna  Maria  da  Gloria,  Queen  of  Portugal. 


158       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

The  birth  of  this  child  was  a  signal  for  univer- 
sal rejoicings  throughout  the  kingdom ;  for  the 
people,  bourgeoisie  and  nobility  alike,  were  ani- 
mated by  a  common  affection  for  Eugene  and 
his  wife. 

Their  joy  would  have  been  much  more  exuber- 
ant if  the  fatal  divorce  had  not  modified  Napo- 
leon's plans  with  regard  to  Eugene,  and  if  the 
little  Prince  who  had  just  been  born  could  have 
been  looked  upon  as  the  future  heir  to  the  Crown 
of  Italy. 

During  the  year  181 1,  Europe  enjoyed  a  pro- 
found peace,  which  gave  no  warnings  of  the 
disasters  of  the  Russian  campaign.  This  happy 
but  too  short  truce  gave  Eugene  an  opportunity 
to  put  some  of  the  numerous  plans  which  he 
had  been  nursing  for  the  good  of  his  people 
into  execution.  He  organised  the  Institute  of 
Sciences  at  Milan,  with  branches  in  Venice, 
Bologna,  Padua,  and  Verona;  he  endowed  and 
maintained  several  special  academies,  and  at 
Milan  founded  a  college  for  young  girls,  with  the 
end  in  view  of  encouraging  flax-raising,  —  one  of 
the  most  important  industries  in  his  kingdom ; 
he  offered  a  prize  of  a  million  francs  for  the 
invention  of  the  best  machine  for  spinning  flax. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 59 

But  all  his  happy  and  peaceful  innovations  came 
to  a  standstill. 

Napoleon  had  at  first  intended  to  undertake 
his  campaign  against  Russia  in  the  spring  of 
181 1 ;  and  in  order  that  Italy  should  be  ready  to 
place  at  his  disposal  the  great  number  of  men 
he  demanded  of  her,  he  had  ordered  Eugene  to 
equip  a  powerful  army  before  the  month  of  May, 
181 1.  The  organising  of  these  troops  claimed  the 
Viceroy's  incessant  attention.  Thanks  to  the 
postponement  of  this  fatal  campaign,  which  was 
destined  to  engulf  the  largest  number  of  men 
ever  collected,  and  prepare  the  insidious  over- 
throw of  the  imperial  throne,  Eugene  was  en- 
abled, during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  to 
enjoy  the  felicity  of  his  fireside. 

A  command  from  Napoleon  interrupted  the 
conjugal  happiness  of  the  young  couple  for  sev- 
eral weeks.  He  demanded  the  presence  of  the 
Viceroy  at  Paris,  when,  to  his  great  joy,  Marie 
Louise  gave  birth  to  the  ardently  longed  for 
child  ;  though  instead  of  the  promised  crowns, 
fate  reserved  exile  and  premature  death  for  the 
young  orphan,  crushed  under  the  overwhelming 
greatness  of  a  name  which,  long  after  the  down- 
fall of  the  giant,  still  possessed  the  power  to 
make  Europe  tremble. 


l6o      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Napoleon  wished  Eugene  himself  to  announce 
the  birth  of  the  little  King  of  Rome  to  Josephine. 
Painful  as  this  delicate  mission  must  have  been, 
Eugene  obeyed  with  his  usual  noble  simplicity. 

"  The  Viceroy  assured  Josephine  that  the  Emperor 
had  said  to  him  as  he  took  leave  of  him :  '  You  are 
going  to  see  your  mother,  Eugene ;  tell  her  that  I  am 
sure  she  will  rejoice  with  me  in  my  happiness  more 
than  any  one  else.  I  should  have  written  to  her  before, 
if  I  had  not  been  absorbed  in  the  pleasure  of  gazing 
at  my  son.  I  only  tear  myself  away  from  him  to 
attend  to  the  most  indispensable  duties.  This  evening 
I  will  discharge  the  sweetest  of  them  all,  —  I  shall 
write  to  Josephine.'  " 

During  Eugene's  stay  in  France,  Napoleon 
and  he  talked  long  and  earnestly  on  the  Italian 
army,  which  in  the  following  year  was  to  carry  the 
tricolour  into  the  depths  of  Russia.  Thanks  to 
his  constant  and  energetic  efforts,  Eugene  stood 
ready,  at  the  end  of  1811,  to  march  at  the  head 
of  fifty  thousand  men  and  five  thousand  horses. 

One  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  disastrous 
campaign  which  was  about  to  commence  was 
this  ill-omened  Austrian  marriage,  upon  which 
Napoleon  had  counted  to  consolidate  his  great- 
ness and  which  —  as  if  Providence  had  wished 
to  avenge  the  repudiated  wife  —  was  the  origin 
of  his  downfall. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       l6l 

Napoleon  had  decided,  in  order  to  strengthen 
his  dynasty,  to  contract  a  second  marriage,  and 
hesitated  a  long  time  between  an  archduchess  of 
Austria,  and  the  Grand-Duchess  Anne  of  Russia, 
a  sister  to  the  Emperor  Alexander.  His  first 
choice  had  fallen  on  the  latter,  but  difficulties 
arose  at  once.  The  Empress-Mother  disapproved 
of  the  marriage,  urging  the  extreme  youth  of 
her  daughter  as  an  excuse.  Alexander,  on  his 
side,  owing  to  the  reputed  coldness  springing  up 
between  France  and  Russia,  showed  little  haste 
to  reply  to  Napoleon's  advances,  and  matters 
dragged  along.  Was  this  slowness,  in  exhaust- 
ing the  patience  of  the  master  of  France,  the 
true  reason  for  the  failure  of  this  marriage  pro- 
ject ?  This  would  be  rather  a  foolhardy  assertion 
to  make.  On  the  other  hand,  Alexander,  it 
cannot  be  denied,  was  very  jealous  of  the  creation 
of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Warsaw  which  Napoleon 
bestowed  on  his  ally,  the  King  of  Saxony ;  accord- 
ing to  Thiers,  the  Czar,  seeing  in  the  formation  of 
this  new  State  the  menace  of  a  reconstruction  of 
the  old  kingdom  of  Poland,  exacted  as  the  price 
of  his  consent  to  a  marriage  with  his  sister  the 
secret  and  formal  promise  on  the  part  of  the 
all-powerful  Pretender   never  to   reorganise   the 

VOL.   I.  —  II 


1 62       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

obliterated  kingdom.  But  M.  Vandal,  thanks  to 
recent  researches,  has  been  able  to  establish,  in 
an  irrefutable  manner,  the  fact  that,  though  con- 
senting to  sign  such  a  convention,  Napoleon  did 
not  obtain  the  hand  of  the  Grand-Duchess,  and 
that  Alexander's  parleyings,  agreeing  with  the 
Empress-Mother's,  were  in  reality  but  pretexts. 

In  the  mean  while,  Austria,  in  the  grasp  of  the 
iron  hand  of  the  conqueror,  declared  herself 
ready  to  "  sacrifice  "  (this  was  the  term  employed 
by  the  Emperor  Francis  himself)  an  archduchess. 
Napoleon,  annoyed  by  the  repeated  delays  of 
Russia,  put  an  end  to  Alexander's  parleys  with 
his  accustomed  brusqueness. 

This  violent  rupture  fermented  the  difficulties 
pending  between  the  courts  of  Paris  and  St. 
Petersburg  on  the  subject  of  Poland,  the  contin- 
ual stumbling-block  of  the  Duchy  of  Oldenburg, 
and  other  questions  of  too  complex  a  nature  to 
be  mentioned  here.  If  it  cannot  be  said  to  be 
the  direct  and  determining  cause  of  the  war,  it 
can  be  safely  looked  upon  as  being  at  least  the 
secondary  and  indirect  cause. 

Beyond  doubt,  if  Napoleon  had  not  divorced 
himself,  the  political  difficulties,  not  being  em- 
bittered by  the  personal  resentments  between  the 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 63 

two  Emperors,  would  have  been  capable  of  an 
easier  solution.  Unhappily  the  self-love  of  both 
was  wounded,  —  Napoleon's  by  the  subterfuges  of 
Alexander,  who  pretended  to  shelter  himself  be- 
hind his  mother's  wishes ;  that  of  Alexander  by 
the  impolite  manner  in  which  Napoleon  broke  off 
negotiations  before  the  true  meaning  of  his  secret 
decision  was  officially  announced. 


III. 

At  the  beginning  of  181 2,  Eugene  was  placed  in 
command  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps,  composed 
of  Italians,  and  the  Sixth  Corps  (Bavarians), making 
a  total  of  eighty  thousand  soldiers,  who  set  out 
the  1 6th  of  February.  In  order  to  enable  this 
army  to  cross  the  Alps,  it  was  necessary  to  clear 
the  gorges  of  Brenner  of  the  enormous  masses 
of  snow  by  which  they  were  obstructed,  and 
which  rendered  the  passage  almost  impracticable. 
These  difficult  operations  were  organised  and 
executed  with  the  greatest  secrecy,  as  Napoleon 
feared  that  Russia,  divining  the  destination  of  this 
army,  would  invade  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Warsaw 
and  Old  Prussia,  which  the  great  general  wished 
to  keep  free  as  a  basis  for  his  operations. 


164       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

A  few  days  before  leaving  Milan,  Eugene 
informed  his  relative  and  intimate  friend,  the 
Comte  de  la  Valette,  of  his  assuming  command. 
I  cite  this  letter  because  it  shows  at  once  how 
little  ambition  Eugene  had  for  a  throne. 

The  rumour  had  spread  that  the  real  cause  of 
the  war  was  the  desire  which  Napoleon  nursed 
to  punish  Russia  by  re-establishing  the  ancient 
kingdom  of  Poland,  in  order  to  bestow  it  on 
Eugene.  This  is  the  letter  on  that  subject  which 
the  latter  wrote  to  the  Comte  de  la  Valette :  — 

Milan,  February  22,  181 2. 

At  last  my  fate  is  decided :  I  have  received  a  grand 
command,  and  though  it  is  not  yet  publicly  given  out, 
I  am  at  liberty  to  announce  it  to  you.  I  command  the 
Fourth  Corps  of  the  Army  and  that  of  the  Bavarians, 
which  they  say  Saint-Cyr  commands.  You  can  easily 
see  that  this  will  give  me  from  seventy  thousand  to  eighty 
thousand  men  and  nearly  two  hundred  pieces  of  cannon. 

The  generals,  officers,  and  soldiers,  who  have  just  come 
from  Paris,  assure  me  that  it  is  said  I  shall  be  placed  in 
command  of  the  cavalry.  In  any  case  I  shall  be  well 
placed,  and  any  position  which  leaves  me  at  liberty  to 
give  the  greatest  number  of  proofs  of  absolute  devotion 
to  His  Majesty  will  be  the  post  I  shall  always  prefer. 

One  thing  does  not  make  me  feel  any  too  much 
pleased.  That  is  the  rumour  which  calls  my  unworthy 
self  to  Poland.    This  rumour  has  been  spread  here ;  and 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       165 

I  assure  you  it  has  given  me  real  sorrow.  I  could  not 
live  so  far  from  the  Emperor ;  my  sole  ambition  is  to 
live  and  die  as  near  to  him  as  possible.  You  will  tell 
me  that  I  am  not  hard  to  please,  and  you  are  right. 
I  am  not  devoid  of  ambition ;  but  I  have  not  the  ambi- 
tion which  aspires  to  thrones,  that  is  certain,  as  it  is  also 
certain  that  I  have  a  lifelong  friendship  for  you. 

If  the  young  Viceroy  of  Italy  evinced  little 
desire  for  the  Crown  of  Poland,  such  was  far 
from  being  the  case  with  the  Poles  in  regard 
to  (as  he  modestly  says)  "  his  unworthy  self." 
They  ardently  longed  for  him  at  Warsaw,  where 
they  nursed  the  hope  of  seeing  the  armies  of 
France  raise  up  Poland's  fallen  greatness.  I 
desire  no  greater  proof  of  this  than  these  lines, 
addressed  a  few  months  later  to  Eugene,  who 
had  just  reached  the  shores  of  the  Niemen,  by 
General  Rosinkwi,  one  of  the  most  illustrious 
men  of  his  country:  — 

"  All  the  people  of  Poland,  without  one  exception,  are 
expressing  wishes  which  I  can  feel  and  share  better  with 
the  nation  than  I  should  know  how  to  explain  to  Your 
Imperial  Highness.  To-day  you  are  the  only  person  who 
commands  our  suffrages,  and  on  you  alone  our  eyes  are 
cast.  We  dare  not  defy  the  Emperor's  will ;  but  the  Em- 
peror himself  cannot  prevent  our  hearts  from  feeling  for 
Your  Imperial  Highness  that  of  which  reason  would  not 


1 66       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

disapprove.  It  may  be  possible  I  offend  the  nobility  of 
Your  Imperial  Highness  by  these  words ;  it  is  also  pos- 
sible I  may  be  too  bold  in  daring  to  broach  this  topic. 
If  such  is  the  case,  I  will  promise  to  be  silent  in  the 
future,  or  until  occasion  calls  for  it;  but  I  cannot  ac- 
knowledge myself  in  fault  because  I  manifest  the  feelings 
with  which  my  heart  is  filled,  following  the  impression 
which  our  deep  esteem  for  your  noble  character  adds 
to  all  our  hopes." 

After  an  affecting  farewell  to  his  beloved  wife 
and  children,  Eugene  set  out  the  18th  of  April, 
in  obedience  to  an  urgent  order  from  Napoleon 
to  join  him  in  Paris. 

He  remained  a  week  in  the  French  capital 
before  joining  his  army.  As  though  foreseeing  the 
length  of  the  separation  and  the  frightful  perils 
which  he  would  be  obliged  to  face,  his  heart  dic- 
tated each  day  a  new  letter  to  the  Princess, 
sometimes  two  in  the  same  day.  I  shall  not 
resist  the  pleasure  of  citing  a  few  of  them,  of 
which  the  interest  is  great,  whether  it  be  from 
the  perfume  of  tenderness  which  they  exhale,  or 
the  bright  light  they  throw  upon  the  great  events 
which  were  soon  to  unroll  themselves  before  our 
eyes,  —  events  in  which  Eugene  was  to  take  a 
part,  which,  in  default  of  so  many  other  claims, 
merits  the  admiration  of  posterity. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       167 

The  Prince  made  the  journey  in  four  days  from 
Milan  to  Paris,  which  was  exceptionally  rapid 
for  that  period.  He  did  not  find  the  Emperor 
at  the  Tuileries.  The  latter,  in  truth,  annoyed 
by  the  low  rumble  of  popular  discontent  which 
reached  his  ears,  had  retired  with  his  Court  to 
Saint-Cloud,  the  end  of  the  previous  month. 
This  man,  who,  having  arrived  at  the  pinnacle  of 
his  astounding  greatness  and  had  only  one  more 
fortunate  campaign  to  make  to  hold  the  whole 
Continent  in  his  all-powerful  hand,  was  obliged, 
so  to  speak,  to  fly  from  the  complaints  of  a  people 
hostile  to  the  new  war  and  groaning  under  the 
weight  of  military  taxes  imposed  by  the  glory  of 
the  master  they  had  themselves  created. 

Eugene  reached  Paris  the  2 2d  of  April,  and 
after  going  to  see  the  Emperor  at  Saint-Cloud, 
to  embrace  his  mother  at  Malmaison,  he  returned 
to  Paris  in  the  evening  worn  out  with  fatigue. 

IV. 

The  touching  letter  that  follows  contains  the 
pacific  indications  which  were  welcomed  with 
such  avidity,  at  the  moment  previous  to  the 
bursting  forth  of  the   most  murderous  war   of 


1 68      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

modern  times.  A  word  of  explanation  is  here 
appropriate.  The  Russians,  in  the  fear  which 
Napoleon's  overwhelming  military  genius  in- 
spired, had  already  mapped  out  their  plan  of  the 
campaign.  This  consisted  in  destroying  every- 
thing in  advance  of  Napoleon,  of  leaving  des- 
olation in  the  path  of  his  army  in  the  hope  of 
weakening  its  strength  by  famine  and  misery. 
In  order  to  retard  these  devastations,  at  least 
until  his  army  could  concentrate  itself  in  close 
proximity  to  the  Slav  frontiers,  Napoleon  not 
only  manoeuvred  to  keep  the  objective  movements 
of  his  troops  as  secret  as  possible,  but,  with  a 
most  skilful  duplicity,  spread  the  rumour  that 
peace  was  in  a  fair  way  not  to  be  broken.  The 
more  imminent  the  war  became,  because  his  will 
rendered  it  inevitable,  the  more  pronounced  be- 
came his  peaceful  assurances. 

The  following  letter  from  the  Viceroy  speaks 
of  this  certainty :  — 

Paris,  April  24,  Midday. 
Yesterday  I  received  your  first  two  letters,  my  good 
and  loving  Augusta,  and  they  brought  loving  tears  to 
my  eyes.  I  never  doubted  your  tenderness  for  me,  but  the 
assurances  you  give  me  in  so  touching  a  manner  is  very 
dear  to  me.  Every  member  of  the  family  whom  I  have 
seen  up  to  the  present  moment  has  anxiously  asked  after 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       169 

you  ;  and  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  see  that  you  are 
loved  and  appreciated  as  you  deserve  to  be.  I  will  no 
doubt  astonish  you  in  telling  you  that  no  one  speaks 
of  war  here.  A  great  many  people,  well  informed,  tell 
me  that  things  may  be  arranged  even  yet 

A  Russian  officer,  who  passed  day  before  yesterday 
througn  Metz,  is  awaited  here  to-day.  Be  tranquil,  per- 
fectly tranquil;  do  not  alarm  yourself.  I  advise  you  to 
this,  and  you  should  believe  what  I  tell  you.  Do  not 
doubt  the  loving  tenderness  which  I  have  sworn  for  you 
for  life.  I  embrace  you  and  my  little  ones  also.  The 
Empress  Marie  is  charmed  with  their  portraits.  I  had 
the  honour  of  making  a  hand  at  her  game  of  whist  yes- 
terday, and  she  chatted  most  amicably  about  you  and 
the  details  of  our  little  household.  I  think  it  would  be 
well  for  you  to  write  to  her. 

Another  letter,  written  two  days  afterwards, 
shows  how  sincere  was  his  indifference  in  regard 
to  royal  dignities.  His  joy  burst  forth  on  learn- 
ing  that  there  was  a  question  of  King  Jerome 
for  Poland's  throne  :  — 

"  I  do  not  speak  of  the  rumours  of  Paris,  for  it  is  in 
this  city  that  they  abound.  For  example,  it  is  almost 
certain  that  the  King  of  Westphalia  will  become  the 
King  of  Poland.  I  give  you  this  news  especially,  because 
you  know  how  enchanted  I  shall  be  that  there  is  noth- 
ing in  it  which  concerns  us;  and  I  pray  Heaven,  which 
has  cared  for  us  so  well,  to  leave  us  thus  for  the  rest 
of  our  lives." 


170      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

This  short  stay  of  the  Viceroy's  in  Paris 
coincides  with  the  most  brilliant  period  of  Napo- 
leon's reign.  With  the  campaign  of  Russia  was 
really  to  commence  the  decadence  of  the  most 
unique  power  in  the  world. 

During  these  days,  there  were  nothing  but 
fetes  at  the  Court,  in  which  Eugene  took  part 
with  as  happy  a  heart  as  his  separation  from  his 
family  permitted. 

How  many  times,  in  after  years,  in  his  peaceful 
Bavarian  retreat,  living  quietly  in  the  bosom  of 
his  family,  while  Napoleon  expiated  so  many 
triumphs  on  a  rock  lost  in  the  middle  of  a  far  dis- 
tant ocean,  —  how  many  times  must  his  thoughts 
have  gone  back  to  those  last  dazzling  days  of 
this  marvellous  epoch,  to  which  succeeded  the 
shipwreck  of  the  Empire  ! 

In  the  midst  of  spectacles,  hunting-parties,  and 
amusements  of  all  kinds,  the  rumours  of  peace 
were  persistently  reported  by  every  mouth  as  the 
Emperor  had  willed,  in  order  to  mislead  Russia 
completely.  But  Eugene's  mind  was  too  clair- 
voyant, his  sagacity  too  keen,  for  him  to  be  long 
carried  away  by  this  mirage. 

"  You  must  know  that  everything  is  wrapped 
in  mystery  here,"  he  wrote,  two  days  later,  to  the 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       I  71 

Princess,  "  especially  for  those  who,  like  me,  seek 
to  know  only  what  they  are  told." 

On  the  30th,  Napoleon  took  him  to  Trianon 
and  Versailles,  in  his  carriage :  — 

"  I  am  waiting  for  my  orders,"  he  writes ;  "  I 
am  more  than  ever  like  the  bird  on  the  branch." 
And,  terminating  his  letter  in  the  loving  language 
habitual  to  him,  he  adds :  "  I  embrace  my  little 
angels ;  and,  for  their  sake  and  mine,  take  good 
care  of  your  precious  health." 

V. 

At  last  the  hour  sounded.  Eugene  received 
his  orders  to  join  the  army.  This  news  could 
not  but  greatly  alarm  an  adored  wife.  Although 
of  a  remarkable  firmness  of  character,  the  Vice- 
Queen  was  a  sweet  and  loving  woman.  Why 
should  she  not  tremble  at  the  announcement  of 
the  war  in  which  her  beloved  husband  might 
meet  his  death,  as  Lannes  did,  and  so  many  of  the 
brave  commanders  of  the  army? 

Notwithstanding  all,  Eugene  could  not  dis- 
simulate his  joy  at  having,  as  he  put  it  in  his 
own  words,  "  a  very  fine  command,"  —  a  soldier's 
joy,  who  could  only  see  in  the  horrors  of  war  the 
laurels  to  be  gathered. 


I  72      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Paris,  May  1,  1812. 
I  announce  the  news  to  you,  my  dear  Augusta,  that 
the  Emperor  has  ordered  me  to  the  front.  I  leave 
to-morrow  morning.  I  have  a  very  fine  command  under 
me,  and  am  delighted  to  have  the  Bavarians  with  me. 
Do  not  worry  over  this  news.  Matters  may  still  be 
arranged.  Officers  are  coming  and  going  between 
Paris  and  St  Petersburg ;  and  it  is  stated  there  will  be 
an  interview  between  the  two  Emperors  in  which  an 
understanding  may  be  reached.  But,  above  all  things, 
do  not  worry.  Count  on  my  happiness;  my  lucky 
star  will  not  abandon  me,  and  everything  is  for  the 
best.  Embrace  my  children  for  me;  I  clasp  you  to 
my  heart. 

That  same  day  Eugene  wrote  again  to  his 
wife.  He  feared  she  would  suspect  that  he  had 
deluded  her  with  false  hopes  of  peace,  when  he 
knew  that  war  had  been  decided  upon ;  and  this 
sincere  and  loyal  character  could  not  endure  the 
idea  that,  even  in  the  smallest  matters,  the  Prin- 
cess should  doubt  his  frankness  :  — 

Paris,  May  1,  1812. 
You  must  have  been  very  much  surprised  at  hearing 
of  my  hurried  departure  for  the  army ;  but  I  assure  you 
it  was  very  fortunate  for  me.  One  thing  worried  me 
greatly,  and  that  is,  that  you  might  for  a  moment  think 
I  had  misled  you,  and  that  I  knew  in  advance  I  should 
join  the  army.     You  would  do  me  a  great  injustice,  my 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      I  73 

dear  wife,  for,  I  swear  before  God,  I  told  you  all  I 
knew  and  the  exact  truth.  I  am  anxious  to  know  that 
you  believe  in  my  sincerity  and  also  in  my  good  fortune, 
which  has  doubled  since  we  became  united ;  and  Heaven 
is  too  just  not  to  continue  its  favours  towards  us. 
Adieu,  my  dearest  Augusta.  I  shall  be  eight  whole 
days  in  the  carriage,  without  being  able  to  write  to  you ; 
but  I  shall  write  from  Munich,  and  on  every  occasion 
which  offers  itself.     Adieu,  once  more  adieu. 

He  profited  by  a  stop  of  two  hours  at  Mayence 

to  beg  his  wife  not  to  worry  and  to  take  good 

care  of  herself.     Brave  heart,  who,  in  the  moment 

of  facing   the  most  formidable  dangers,  forgets 

himself  to  think  of  the  tranquillity  of  the  being 

whose  happiness  is  more  precious  to  him  than 

his  own  life ! 

Mayence,  May  5,  181 2,  6  a.m. 

I  was  obliged  to  make  a  halt  at  Mayence.  My  dear 
Augusta,  I  will  profit  by  this  delay  to  write  you.  I 
hope  your  health  remains  good,  and  that  you  will  always 
be  very  careful  of  yourself  for  your  children's  sake  and  for 
love  of  me.  This  is  the  greatest  proof  of  attachment 
you  can  give  me.  Adieu ;  I  embrace  you  tenderly,  and 
send  many  kisses  to  my  little  angels. 

Still  give  me  your  love ;  it  is  the  happiness  of  my  life. 

Six  days'  journey  transported  him  from  Paris 
to  Dresden,  where  but  a  short  while  later  the 
Emperor  and  Empress  of  Austria,  the  King  of 


I  74       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Prussia,  the  King  and  Queen  of  Saxony,  and 
so  many  German  princes  ran,  like  vassals  at 
their  sovereign's  call,  to  offer  Napoleon  the  in- 
cense of  their  homages,  the  supreme  radiance 
of  a  dazzling  greatness  blazing  up  with  greater 
brilliancy  as  it  was  about  to  be  extinguished  for 
ever.  From  Pilnitz,  near  Dresden,  Eugene  ac- 
quainted his  wife  with  the  charming  reception 
accorded  him  by  the  royal  family :  — 

Pilnitz,  May  8,  1812,  11.30  p.  m. 
The  King  was  very  kind  to  me,  the  Queen  charming. 
The  Princess  Augusta  (the  King's  daughter)  is  very 
well;  we  talked  of  you  a  great  deal,  and  I  was  made 
doubly  happy  as  I  listened  to  the  justice  which  they 
rendered  you.  I  shall  not  write  to  you  again  until  I 
reach  my  headquarters ;  that  is  to  say,  amid  the  lands 
of  Poland.  Adieu,  my  good  and  very  dear  Augusta; 
my  sentiments  towards  you  will  never  change. 

Each  letter  marked  a  new  step,  which  carried 
him  farther  and  farther  from  his  loved  ones,  and 
nearer  and  nearer  the  theatre  of  war.  Alas !  each 
step  also  augmented  the  difficulty  of  receiving 
letters,  the  greatest  suffering  to  those  waiting 
and  longing  for  them. 

Glogau,  May  II,  181 2. 
I  hasten  to  announce  my  arrival  at  Glogau.     I  have 
had  enough  of  being  cooped  up  in  a  carriage  for  nine 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 75 

whole  days.  I  have  been  on  horseback  all  the  morning, 
and  have  reviewed  a  good  part  of  my  troops.  There 
will  be  many  days  that  I  shall  be  without  news  of  you, 
my  dear  wife;  and  that  saddens  me,  because  I  have 
contracted  the  pleasing  habit  of  receiving  your  letters 
regularly.  I  shall  have  them  more  and  more  rarely 
now,  but  the  safest  way  is  to  send  your  letters  by  the 
way  of  Paris.  Adieu,  my  dear  one ;  in  a  few  days  more 
I  shall  reach  my  destination,  and  I  will  then  take  up  my 
pleasant  task  of  giving  you  news  of  me  often.  Adieu ; 
I  embrace  you  as  I  love  you,  and  my  three  little  angels. 
Be  careful  of  yourself,  because  you  are  necessary  to  all 
our  happiness. 

At  last  Eugene  reached  his  headquarters  on 
the  Vistula.  The  sight  of  his  Bavarian  troops 
suggested  a  pretty  compliment  to  the  Princess, 
who,  loyal  Frenchwoman  as  she  had  become,  still 
preserved  a  tender  remembrance  of  her  country 
in  her  heart:  — 

Headquarters  at  Plock,  May  15,  181 2. 

I  am  surrounded  by  Bavarians;  but  I  do  not  need 
them  to  call  to  my  mind  that  I  possess  what  is  most 
precious  to  them.  I  will  pass  them  in  review  these 
dreary  days,  and  shall  hunt  a  little  in  the  surrounding 
country. 

Mon  Dieii  I  How  far  I  am  from  you  !  Do  you  know, 
that  since  the  day  I  left  you,  a  month  has  not  passed, 
and  yet  it  seems  a  century  to  me!  I  have  travelled 
nearly  six  hundred  leagues. 


I  76      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

The  next  day,  the  Viceroy,  having  finally  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  the  Princess,  wrote  her,  "  I 
am  feeling  very  well,  and  much  lighter  in  heart 
and  happier  in  mind  since  I  have  received  news 
of  you." 

Two  days  afterwards  he  mentioned  the  Em- 
peror's departure ;  and,  in  his  desire  to  hasten 
the  conquest  of  a  glorious  peace,  he  cried  out,  in 
the  tones  of  a  young  general  intoxicated  with  the 
roar  of  the  cannons,  "  So  much  the  better :  the 
sooner  it  commences,  the  sooner  it  will  be  fin- 
ished, and  the  sooner  I  shall  find  myself  again  in 
your  arms." 

In  another  letter,  he  mentions  the  cleverness 
with  which  Napoleon  had  kept  Alexander  in 
doubt  as  to  his  warlike  intentions,  and  exclaimed 
gaily,  "  Do  you  know,  there  are  many  people 
who  still  do  not  believe  in  the  war  ?  " 

The  nearer  Eugene  approached  the  battle-fields 
of  the  future,  the  more  he  endeavoured  to  inspire 
the  Princess  with  confidence  and  to  make  her  a 
sharer  of  the  hopefulness  of  his  own  heart.  "  I 
have  told  you,  and  I  repeat,"  he  writes,  "  that 
nothing  could  have  made  me  happier  than  being 
sent  to  the  front;  I  am  very  happy  to  be ( here. 
Do  not  worry  about  me,  for  I  rely  on  my  good 
star." 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 77 

Though  on  the  point  of  engaging  in  battle 
on  the  Russian  steppes,  nothing  could  turn  his 
thoughts  from  Italy  and  the  loving  companion 
he  had  left  behind  him.  Although  the  Princess's 
birthday  was  still  far  away,  he  had  thought  of  it : 
"As  I  fear  my  despatches  may  be  detained  en 
route,  I  have  this  day  sent  you  a  little  birthday 
present  by  way  of  Paris ;  I  am  anxious  that  it 
should  reach  you  in  time.  There  are  still  twenty- 
two  days." 

Could  anything  be  more  touching  than  these 
simple  words ;  and  how  could  the  Princess  help 
being  touched  to  the  bottom  of  her  heart? 
Eugene  returns  to  the  subject  again  in  the  follow- 
ing note :  — 

Soldau,  June  6,  1812. 

Here  I  am  at  Soldau,  my  dear  Augusta;  the  guard 
arrived  here  this  morning.  The  army  is  so  grand  and 
so  enthusiastic  that  it  leads  me  to  hope  the  war  will 
not  last  over  the  winter.  It  will  be  so  sweet  to  feel 
your  dear  arms  around  me  again,  before  the  bitter  cold 
reaches  us.  Your  birthday  falls  in  this  month ;  it  will 
not  be  the  first  I  have  passed  away  from  you,  but 
my  heart  is  near  you  at  present,  and  I  assure  you  it  is 
impossible  to  love  you  more  than  I  do  now. 

Unhappily  this  correspondence,  after  becoming 
more  and  more  rare  as  the  distance  lengthened, 
vol.  1.  —  12 


178       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

became  day  by  day  more  uncertain.  "Beg  of 
the  Due  de  Lodi  and  Darnay,"  wrote  Eugene 
from  Sensburg,  "to  direct  the  despatch-couriers' 
route  carefully,  so  that  they  may  not  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Cossacks." 

Provisions  ran  short  not  long  afterwards,  and 
long  before  hostilities  commenced,  the  army  suf- 
fered greatly. 

"  We  are  suffering  for  the  necessities  of  life," 
the  young  general  wrote  from  Rastenburg,  under 
the  date  of  June  14;  "and  this  fact  causes  me 
many  sleepless  nights,  when  I  think  that  I  have 
eighty  thousand  men  to  feed  every  day,  and  often- 
times we  cannot  find  ten  bags  of  corn.  But  my 
consolation  is  that  we  are  marching  in  advance 
of  the  harvest.  I  am  very  well,  and  want  noth- 
ing but  to  hear  from  you  oftener." 

In  the  following  letter,  we  find  a  new  allusion 
to  the  desire  of  the  Poles  to  have  Eugene  for 
their  King,  and  a  proof  that  the  Princess  shared 
her  husband's  aversion  to  the  plan.  Italy  or 
nothing,  —  this  was  their  common  thought. 

Rastenburg,  June  17,  181 2. 
My  DEAR  AND  GOOD  AUGUSTA,  —  You  may  rest  easy 
on  the  score  of  Poland ;   it  is  probable  that  the  matter 
will  be  arranged  without  any  reference  to  me.   The  Poles 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       I  79 

have  made  the  most  inconceivable  overtures,  but  I  have 
held  to  my  first  decision,  and  have  not  disguised  the 
fact  that  they  have  pained  me.  It  is  certainly  evident 
they  are  very  anxious  for  me,  and  in  proof  of  this  I 
send  you  two  letters  which  I  have  received  from  two 
of  them ;  you  need  not  show  these  to  any  one.  They 
do  not  disguise  the  fact  that  they  hope  to  have  me  for 
their  King.  At  present  I  am  almost  positive  it  will 
arrange  itself  differently.  We  shall  certainly  pass  our 
winter  together,  my  dear  Augusta,  and  this  thought 
supports  me  through  these  dreary  days.  I  am  deeply 
sensible  of  my  happiness,  and  I  love  you  for  it. 

The  21st  is  the  Vice-Queen's  anniversary :  — 

"To-day  is  the  21st,"  the  Prince  writes;  "  and  this  is 
to  say  to  you  that  I  regret  not  being  near  you  to-day 
more  than  other  days,  but  my  heart  and  my  thoughts 
are  never  far  from  you." 

At  last  the  fatal  moment  arrives.  Napoleon 
is  about  to  cross  the  Niemen.  June  24,  Eugene 
writes :  — 

Kalwarya,  June  24,  1812,  Midday. 

Bonjour,  my  dear,  darling  Augusta.  I  have  just 
reached  this  place  after  marching  all  night.  The  guard 
arrived  with  me.  To-morrow  my  entire  corps  will  join 
me.  To-day  the  Emperor  is  to  cross  the  Niemen  at 
several  points. 

The  heat  is  something  frightful,  notwithstanding  which 
I  am  very  well.  I  love  you,  and  shall  love  you  all 
my  life. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Campaign  of  Russia.  —  The  Passage  of  the  Niemen.  —  Suffer- 
ings of  the  Army  from  the  Commencement  of  the  Cam- 
paign. —  Russian  Tactics.  —  The  Uneasiness  of  Absence.  — 
Napoleon  as  the  Father  of  a  Family.  —  The  Battle  of  Mos- 
cow. —  Prince  Eugene's  Glorious  Rdle  in  this  Battle.  — 
Entry  into  Moscow.  —  Incendiarism.  —  Uncertainty  as  to 
the  Future.  —  Overtures  towards  Peace.  —  The  Order  to 
Retreat. 

I. 

HAVE  now  arrived  at  the  most  painful  as  also 
the  most  glorious  epoch  of  Eugene's  career. 

Napoleon,  in  crossing  the  Niemen,  had  finally 
thrown  down  the  gauntlet  to  the  Colossus  of 
the  North. 

The  most  sanguinary  campaign  in  the  annals 
of  history  was  about  to  commence.  In  the  bat- 
tle of  Moscow  alone,  forty-seven  generals  were 
lost.  Eugene  himself,  intrepid  soldier  as  he  was 
by  nature,  exposed  his  life  to  the  chance  of  pay- 
ing the  forfeit  from  some  flying  bullet  or  ball, 
and  truly  earned  his  reputation  for  bravery.  On 
those  lugubrious  fields  of  snow,  white  witnesses 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      l8l 

of  privations  which  no  pen  can  paint,  reddened 
with  the  blood  of  hundreds  of  thousands  of  brave 
men,  he  won  a  glorious  reputation,  ratified 
by  the  judgment  of  Napoleon  himself. 

Before  putting  his  foot  on  Russian  soil,  Eugene 
had  been  obliged  to  undergo  experiences  spared 
to  the  majority  of  the  other  generals.  Instead 
of  crossing,  as  they  did,  Old  Prussia,  with  its 
cultivated  fields  and  abundance  of  provisions,  he 
was  obliged  to  open  a  route,  at  the  price  of  in- 
numerable privations,  across  the  sterile  wastes  of 
Poland.  So  long  was  he  detained  that  when  the 
Grand  Army  entered  Wilna,  —  Napoleon's  first 
halt  in  Russia,  —  Eugene  had  only  just  reached 
the  Niemen,  which  he  crossed  six  days  after  the 
Emperor. 

His  corps  of  the  army  had  suffered  terribly 
during  this  astounding  march  of  six  hundred 
leagues  from  the  joyous  plains  of  Italy  to  the 
Muscovite  frontiers.  From  the  cruel  effects  of 
a  change  of  climate,  unwholesome  nourishment, 
drought,  lack  of  bread,  of  salt,  and  of  wine,  dysen- 
tery had  made  such  cruel  ravages  among  the  men 
that,  on  reaching  the  Niemen,  his  main  corps 
of  eighty  thousand  men  was  reduced  to  forty- 
five  thousand. 


182       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

To  superstitious  minds,  —  and  they  were  not 
lacking  among  the  Italian  troops,  —  the  crossing 
of  the  river  by  the  army  was  signalled  by  gloomy 
warnings.  The  crossing  was  set  for  the  29th 
of  June;  and  on  the  evening  of  the  28th  the  sky, 
which  until  then  had  been  clear  and  cloudless, 
became  suddenly  overcast,  and  a  most  frightful 
storm  burst  over  Poland.  A  torrent  of  rain  trans- 
formed the  ground  into  liquid  mud,  in  which 
were  bivouacked  the  poor  Italian  soldiers. 

As  to  the  horses,  they  fell  by  hundreds,  espe- 
cially those  driven  in  teams,  being  for  the  most 
part  too  young  to  stand  the  rough  service  de- 
manded of  them,  and  weakened  by  insufficient 
nourishment.  By  reason  of  the  immense  number 
of  horses  (one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand),  which 
were  hastily  placed  in  requisition  for  the  needs  of 
the  Grand  Army,  their  recruitment,  particularly 
of  those  whose  fate  it  was  to  drag  heavy  loads, 
had  left  much  to  be  desired  as  regarded  quality. 

In  the  course  of  the  marches  of  concentration, 
men  and  beasts  had  been  subjected  to  frightful 
torments ;  but  in  his  letter  to  the  Princess,  whose 
condition  of  health  called  for  the  greatest  care 
for  several  months  yet,  Eugene  drew  a  veil  over 
all  these  sufferings. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       183 

The  day  the  Niemen  was  crossed,  he  was  care- 
ful in  writing  to  his  wife  to  make  no  allusion 
to  the  awful  tempest  which  was  raging  at  that 
moment  and  devastating  everything  before  it : 

Niemen,  June  29,  1812. 
My  DEAR  AUGUSTA, — I  am  writing  you  from  the 
shores  of  the  Niemen  in  my  tent.  The  troops  are  cross- 
ing the  bridges  which  I  had  thrown  across  the  river,  and 
here  we  are  at  last  in  Russia.  I  am  well,  and  have  very- 
few  other  worries  besides  those  of  lack  of  provisions. 
Embrace  our  dear  mother  for  me. 

The  evening  of  the  29th  and  the  next  day 
the  crossing  continued,  being  rendered  very  diffi- 
cult by  the  storm  which  prevailed  with  unabated 
violence.  Wind,  hail,  rain,  and  thunder  were 
jumbled  together  in  this  tempest ;  and  the  bridges 
thrown  across  the  river  were  in  danger  of  being 
carried  away. 

The  frightened  troops  were  almost  paralysed. 
The  cavalrymen  were  obliged  to  walk  beside  their 
horses,  guiding  them  by  the  bridle,  while  the 
infantry  pressed  close  against  each  other  for 
support. 

The  waters  had  risen  so  high  on  both  shores 
that  the  poor  soldiers  could  not  find  a  dry  foot 
of  earth,  and  the  horses  were  dying  by  thousands. 


184      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Panic  spread  among  the  Bavarians,  and  the  Ital- 
ians were  worn  out  by  the  fatigue  of  their  ex- 
traordinary marches.  The  Prince's  energy  was 
powerless  to  establish  discipline ;  and  the  lag- 
gards, ready  to  desert  their  flags,  had  already  com- 
menced to  pillage  the  waggons,  which  they  had 
been  forced  to  abandon  on  account  of  the  im- 
practicability of  the  roads.  What  a  disastrous  be- 
ginning for  a  still  more  disastrous  campaign  !  In 
his  letter  of  July  4,  written  from  Nowo-Troky, 
the  Prince  outlines  in  very  reserved  language  a 
feeble  sketch  of  this  sombre  tableau  of  a  strange 
war  utterly  without  precedent:  — 

"  Every  one  believes  there  will  be  a  battle  soon.  Three 
days  from  now  is  the  anniversary  of  Wagram ;  but  the 
Russians  are  retreating,  and  are  contenting  themselves 
with  burning  and  devastating  the  country." 

Then,  as  the  Empress  Josephine  had  hastened 
to  her  daughter-in-law's  side  to  comfort  and  care 
for  her,  he  adds  these  few  simple  words,  which 
show  what  a  sincere  affection  existed  between 
these  two  women  who  were  both  so  dear  to  him : 

"I  need  not  recommend  you  to  my  dear  mother's 
care :  she  knows  how  dearly  I  love  you ;  she  will  care 
for  you  by  her  attachment  to  me  and  to  you." 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 85 


II. 

Eugene  finally  joined  the  Emperor  at  Wilna, 
where,  to  his  joy,  he  found  four  letters  from  the 
Princess.  He  replied  to  them  the  sixth  of  July 
at  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

"  I  found  your  letters  of  the  16th,  17th,  18th,  and  19th 
of  June  awaiting  me  at  Wilna.  You  can  imagine  what 
pleasure  they  gave  me.  Would  you  believe  it,  that  on 
the  1st  of  July,  after  a  terrible  storm,  we  were  obliged  to 
light  fires?  There  is  hardly  any  night  here,  for  at  ten 
o'clock  in  the  evening  you  can  see  to  read  a  letter 
plainly,  and  before  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  is 
daylight.  The  Emperor  asked  me  all  about  you  yester- 
day, and  I  begged  him  to  permit  me  to  give  his  name  to 
the  coming  little  one  if  it  is  a  boy.  He  answered, '  Yes, 
willingly.' " 

The  march  continued  to  the  front,  without 
any  truce,  and  almost  without  provisions.  It  was 
over  most  frightful  roads. 

Eugene,  whose  natural  frankness  made  it  re- 
pugnant to  him  to  dissimulate  the  truth,  yet  who 
could  not  bring  himself  to  distress  the  Princess 
with  the  story  of  the  sufferings  the  whole  army 
endured,  preferred  to  let  her  believe  he  lacked 
time  to  write,  and  made  his  letters  further  apart. 


1 86       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

It  was  not  until  after  he  had  left  Wilna  three 
days  —  that  is  to  say,  July  9  —  that  he  wrote  from 
Soleczniky :  — 

"  I  could  not  write  to  you,  my  dear  Augusta,  since 
leaving  Wilna,  because  for  the  last  three  days  I  have  not 
had  a  moment's  rest.  We  are  running  after  Bagration's 
army,  and  we  are  having  great  trouble  in  joining  it.  I 
am  well,  though  all  my  luggage  is  behind  me,  and  I 
only  have  a  portmanteau  with  me.  I  think  we  shall  get 
a  rest  in  a  few  days,  as  we  have  marched  all  day  and 
every  day  since  leaving  Plock." 

And  quickly  as  usual  the  general  disappeared 
to  give  place  to  the  passionately  devoted  husband 
and  loving  father :  — 

"  I  think  this  letter  will  reach  you  near  your  accouche- 
ment. It  will  carry  my  regrets  at  being  so  far  away 
from  you,  and  my  hopes  for  your  speedy  recovery,  and 
ten  big  kisses  for  the  little  one  who  shall  have  come 
into  the  world." 

The  Prince,  seeing  his  splendid  troops  cut 
down,  so  to  speak,  before  his  eyes,  as  well  as  the 
entire  Grand  Army,  by  illness,  fatigue,  and  deser- 
tion, shared  Napoleon's  feverish  haste  to  reach 
the  enemy  and  force  him  into  battle. 

His  particular  object  was  to  bring  about  a 
meeting  with   the   redoubtable    Hetman   of   the 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 87 

Cossacks,  Platow.  Notwithstanding  his  forced 
marches,  oftentimes  extended  until  midnight,  by 
roads  which  were  almost  impracticable,  in  which 
he  lost  a  number  of  horses,  and  with  his  ex- 
hausted, starving  men  falling  at  every  step,  he  did 
not  succeed  in  reaching  him. 

After  five  days  of  incessant  marches,  across  a 
devastated  and  uncultivated  country,  he  finally 
succeeded  in  obtaining,  at  Smorghoni,  a  stock  of 
bread  and  beer  which  had  escaped  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Cossacks,  and  upon  which  the  unfor- 
tunate soldiers  threw  themselves  with  avidity. 

The  following  day,  July  13,  he  wrote  to  his 
wife  —  that  sweet  wife,  whose  image  never  left 
his  thoughts  in  the  midst  of  these  cruel  vicissi- 
tudes —  these  lines  which  he  strove   to  render 

light-hearted  :  — 

Smorghoni,  July  13,  181 2,  Evening. 
I  will  despatch  Fortis  the  courier  to-morrow,  my 
very  dear  Augusta,  and  hope  he  will  arrive  in  time  for 
your  fete ;  he  has  promised  me  to  be  in  Milan  by 
August  1.  I  am  sending  you  but  a  small  remembrance, 
but  it  is  all  I  have  by  me  at  the  present  moment.  I 
add  the  assurance  of  my  eternal  love,  which  you  so  well 
merit.  Embrace  our  dear  little  ones  for  me.  I  send 
you  a  thousand  kisses,  which  will  be  very  cold  when 
they  reach  you,  though  they  come  from  the  bottom  of 
my  heart.     We  have  been  in  front  of  the  enemy  for 


1 88      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

twenty  days,  and  they  have  not  fired  twenty  balls.  As 
for  myself,  I  have  seen  only  one  Cossack,  and  he  was  a 
prisoner.  It  would  not  surprise  me  if  this  campaign 
(to  be  more  extraordinary  than  all  the  others)  should 
end  without  a  battle. 

Eugene's  heart,  bleeding  for  the  sufferings  of 
his  soldiers,  beat  with  joy  when  they  were  fortu- 
nate enough  to  come  across  provisions  which 
the  Russians  had  not  had  time  to  destroy.  But 
this  good  fortune  happened  very  seldom,  and 
his  corps  of  the  army  suffered  the  most. 

On  July  24,  reaching  the  Dwina,  the  light 
infantry  of  the  Italian  army  at  last  and  for  the 
first  time  came  in  sight  of  the  Russians  on  the 
opposite  bank.  The  brave  pontoniers  dashed 
hastily  into  the  water  to  construct  their  bridges, 
which  advanced  only  too  slowly  to  suit  the 
anxious  army.  A  ford  was  discovered ;  and  Eu- 
gene, in  his  impatience,  dashed  across  at  the  head 
of  his  Bavarian  cavalry,  reached  the  other  shore, 
and  galloped  on  the  enemy,  who,  faithful  to  their 
tactics,  disappeared  quickly  from  view. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  the  Emperor  crossed 
the  bridge  on  horseback,  he  was  greeted  with 
wild  enthusiasm  by  the  Italian  soldiers,  who  then 
saw  him  for  the  first  time.     At  his  appearance 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      189 

an  indescribable  frenzy  spread  among  them ;  and 
they  forgot  the  fatigues  and  the  hunger  under- 
gone, and  thought  only  of  the  glory  to  which  his 
genius  could  not  fail  to  conduct  them. 

From  the  camp  before  the  Witepsk,  Eugene 
wrote  a  short  note  to  the  Princess,  to  announce 
to  her  that  he  had  been  skirmishing  with  his 
corps  for  four  days. 

The  Prince,  who  commanded  the  infantry  of 
the  advance-guard,  was  constantly  exposed  to 
great  danger.  He  had  made  marked  efforts  to 
force  the  Russians  into  decisive  action ;  but  when 
in  the  daytime  they  were  seen  ranged  in  battle- 
array  they  were  nearly  always  sure  to  disperse 
during  the  night.  They  had  a  sanguinary  com- 
bat at  Ostrowno,  however,  in  which  the  army 
corps  commanded  by  the  Russian  general,  Oster- 
man,  was  completely  destroyed.  Barclay  de 
Tolly  manoeuvred  the  Russian  rear-guard  into  a 
strong  position,  but  they  were  unable  to  hold  it 
before  the  impetuous  charge  of  the  Italian  Guard 
and  of  Murat's  cavalry. 

The  Russians  lost,  besides  ten  cannons,  four 
thousand  men  in  these  successive  combats,  three 
thousand  of  whom  were  killed  or  taken  pris- 
oners, —  grand  results,  due  for  the  most  part  to  the 


190      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

ardour  which  the  Viceroy  had  aroused  in  his  sol- 
diers' hearts. 

But  these  valiant  troops  were  thoroughly  ex- 
hausted by  the  fatigue  of  these  ceaseless  marches. 
They  were  badly  in  need  of  sleep,  which  Napo- 
leon, in  the  impossibility  of  bringing  the  two 
hostile  armies  into  action,  granted  them.  To 
give  the  corps  time  to  be  reconstructed  and 
rested,  and  to  rally  the  numerous  stragglers,  the 
Emperor  resolved  to  remain  six  days  in  Witepsk. 


III. 

In  the  midst  of  the  excessive  fatigues  of  this 
war,  of  these  marches  and  battles  in  a  country  so 
far  away  that  the  couriers  spent  twenty-five  days 
on  the  road  between  Witepsk  and  Milan,  Eugene 
never  for  a  moment  ceased  to  be  in  heart  and 
thought  with  his  little  family.  At  the  end  of  the 
month  then  commencing  was  his  wife's  fete- 
day.  Could  he  forget  so  dear  a  date?  So  that 
his  best  wishes  should  arrive  by  the  28th,  he 
wrote  August  3,  from  his  headquarters  before 
Witepsk :  — 

"  To-day  is  your  fete,  my  very  dear  Augusta,  and  I 
try  to  gladden  myself  in  thinking  of  the  happiness  of 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       19 1 

those  who  are  near  enough  to  you  to  wish  you  joy 
personally,  and  to  tell  you  how  much  they  love  you. 
I,  who  am  the  first  among  them,  without  doubt, —  I  am 
not  so  happy,  and  my  regrets  mingle  with  the  joy  of 
this  day." 

Then,  after  modestly  mentioning  that  the 
"  Emperor  was  satisfied  with  his  army  corps," 
he  speaks  of  the  constant  difficulty  of  the  ques- 
tion of  subsistence,  a  cause  of  so  much  worry  to 
the  commander. 

"  Our  supplies  are  assured  for  eight  days,  and  will  be, 
I  hope,  for  fifteen.     How  grand  this  will  be !  " 

Foreseeing  the  painful  thoughts  of  the  Princess, 
he  cries  out,  as  he  ends  his  letter :  — 

"  Adieu,  my  cherished  wife !  when  you  look  at  the 
maps  and  see  how  far  away  we  are  from  each  other,  it 
must  make  you  tremble;  but  be  of  good  cheer,  and 
keep  a  brave  heart." 

In  the  mean  time  the  Grand  Army  under 
Napoleon  was  approaching  Smolensk.  The  day 
after  the  victory  of  Krasnoi,  which  was  won 
on  Napoleon's  birthday,  they  were  in  marching 
order. 

What  a  difference  there  was  between  this 
Russian  15th  of  August  and  the  other  fetes 
celebrated  with  such  pomp  and  joy !     Neverthe- 


192       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

less,  in  spite  of  the  sinister  omens  of  this 
war,  so  little  like  all  that  had  gone  before,  in 
which,  instead  of  pursuing  an  unapproachable 
enemy,  the  army  passed  from  success  to  triumphs, 
the  Emperor's  fete  must  not  pass  unnoticed. 

From  daybreak  the  deepening  roar  of  the 
cannon,  so  sweet  to  the  ears  of  a  soldier,  was  heard 
in  honour  of  the  still  unconquered  Napoleon ! 
All  day  noisy  salutes  of  artillery  resounded  joy- 
ously on  the  distant  shores  of  the  Dnieper. 
Napoleon  was  deeply  touched  by  this  fresh  proof 
of  the  enthusiasm  of  his  army,  —  an  army,  alas  ! 
already  diminished  one-half  by  the  constant 
attacks  of  an  evil  against  which  the  great  general 
had  never  before  been  obliged  to  struggle, — 
desertion ! 

The  Emperor's  headquarters  were  naturally 
the  centre  of  communication  with  the  Empire. 
It  was  from  his  lips  that  Eugene  learned  with 
emotion  the  expected  news  very  dear  to  his  heart : 
the  birth  of  a  new  child,  who  had  been  six  weeks 
in  the  world  before  her  father  could  be  informed. 

With  what  haste  the  latter  wrote  to  the 
Princess !  — 

In  Camp,  August  17,  18 12,  Midday. 
The  Emperor  has  just  announced  to  me,   my  dear 
Augusta,  your  happy  accouchement  of  a  little  girl   on 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      1 93 

July  3.  He  received  the  tidings  by  telegraph  from 
Milan  to  Paris,  and  he  imparted  this  good  news  to  me 
this  morning.  I  thank  Heaven  with  all  my  heart !  I 
have  marched  all  night.  I  preceded  the  troops  in 
order  to  join  the  Emperor  here  and  congratulate  him  on 
h\sfete.     Take  great  care  of  yourself." 

Two  days  later,  amid  the  roar  of  cannon, 
Eugene  resumed  his  familiar  chat,  —  for  these 
letters  are  really  less  of  a  correspondence  than  a 
familiar  and  almost  uninterrupted  chat.  From 
the  camp  at  Smolensk,  he  writes  to  his  wife, 
August  19,  181 2:  — 

My  dear  Augusta, — I  have  not  been  able  to  write  to 
you  for  three  days,  as  we  have  been  in  the  presence  of 
the  enemy  all  of  the  time.  The  Emperor  had  decided 
to  attack  the  city  of  Smolensk;  and  it  was  captured 
with  much  loss  of  life  on  the  part  of  the  enemy.  My 
corps  of  the  army  was  not  actively  engaged.  Yester- 
day we  saw  the  whole  Russian  army  ranged  in  battle. 
We  were  to  have  opened  fire  on  them  this  morning,  but 
the  army  disappeared  during  the  night,  leaving  only  a 
rear-guard  in  sight.  I  can  hear  the  cannons  roar  as  I 
write  you.     My  troops  have  just  crossed  the  river. 

Eugene,  as  can  be  seen,  passes  over  in  silence 

all  that  could  frighten  the  Princess  too  much  in 

the  particularly  horrible  aspects  of  this  campaign. 

For  instance,  when  he  writes  of  the  capture  of 

vol.  1.  —  13 


194       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Smolensk,  he  takes  good  care  not  to  speak  of 
the  incendiaries  of  the  Russians,  who,  fully  un- 
derstanding the  uselessness  of  all  resistance, 
and  wishing,  according  to  their  infernal  tactics, 
to  spread  ruin  in  the  path  of  the  French  army, 
set  fire  to  the  city  during  the  night.  Smolensk 
in  flames  seen  from  the  French  camp  was  so 
frightfully  grand  in  its  aspect  that  Napoleon,  in 
his  bulletin,  compares  it  to  "  an  eruption  of 
Vesuvius  on  a  beautiful  summer's  night " ! 

Following  Eugene's  example,  I  will  also  gloss 
over  the  horrors  of  this  barbarous  war,  and  keep 
myself  as  much  as  possible  within  the  delicate 
frame  of  these  charming  letters,  which  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  conceive  of  as  being  written  in  the  midst 
of  this  campaign. 

What  Eugene  could  not  hide  from  the  Prin- 
cess, notwithstanding  the  fears  with  which  this 
fact  could  not  help  inspiring  her  on  the  subject 
of  the  interminable  length  of  his  absence,  was 
the  persistence  with  which  the  Russians  always 
avoided  a  battle. 

"  We  have  surrounded  this  city  for  the  last  three  days ; 
but  the  Emperor  has  ordered  all  his  generals  to  the 
front.  At  nightfall,  the  enemy  was  seen  to  be  occupy- 
ing a  splendid  position,  but  they  disappeared  during 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       195 

the  night.  In  consequence,  there  was  no  appearance 
of  a  battle,  though  we  were  all  prepared  for  it.  This 
delay  enrages  me.  The  days  are  intensely  hot,  and  the 
nights  equally  cold.  They  tell  us  the  cold  weather  will 
be  upon  us  in  less  than  a  month.     Adieu. 

"  Your  faithful  husband  and  lifelong  friend." 

Four  days  later  he  writes  from  Dorogoboge : 

"  Since  I  left  Smolensk,  we  have  been  constantly  on 
the  march,  and  we  have  reached  Dorogoboge  quickly, 
where  the  enemy  is  said  to  be  ready  for  battle,  awaiting 
us.  Not  one  word  of  truth  in  the  rumour,  as  I  learned 
when  our  troops  arrived,  at  midday." 

And  he  adds,  using  a  little  indirect  flattery 
to  the  Princess,  by  praising  her  countrymen,  — 

"  I  think  I  told  you  that  the  Bavarian  troops  had 
quite  an  affair  near  Polozk.  They  covered  themselves 
with  glory." 

Two  days  later,  Eugene  is  unwillingly  obliged 
to  admit  to  his  wife  that  nearly  all  his  generals 
and  aides-de-camp  are  ill,  and  unfit  for  active 
service ;  but  he  only  refers  lightly  to  this  painful 
subject,  and  dwells,  on  the  contrary,  on  an  inter- 
view he  had  had  with  Napoleon,  and  in  which 
the  latter  dwelt  lovingly  on  the  dear  absentees. 

August  27,  1 81 2,  Evening. 
Yesterday  my  corps  of  the  army  marched   towards 
Dorogoboge,  where  the  Emperor  is  at  present.     I  went 


196       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

to  see  him ;  he  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  asked  after 
you  most  anxiously.  He  knows  nothing  gives  me  more 
pleasure  than  that.  Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta.  In  a 
few  days  I  may  write  to  you  from  Moscow. 

At  length  the  moment  so  ardently  longed  for 
approached.  The  great  battle  was  imminent. 
The  Russians,  notwithstanding  their  intention 
to  destroy  the  French  army  by  fatigue,  by  cold, 
and  by  famine,  rather  than  by  bullets,  were  obliged 
to  make  at  least  a  semblance  of  defending  the 
Holy  City,  Moscow. 

General  Kutusoff,  an  astute  old  man  who  had 
just  been  placed  at  the  head  of  the  Russian  army, 
excelled  in  this  mode  of  warfare,  so  approved  of 
by  public  opinion ;  but  the  military  element  in- 
nate in  every  soldier  excited  feelings  of  shame  at 
the  idea  of  never  facing  the  enemy.  Kutusoff 
experienced  great  difficulties  in  satisfying  the 
general  wish,  which  agreed  so  well  with  his 
particular  views,  without  running  counter  to  the 
ideas  of  the  Russian  fanatics  who  were  so  anxious 
to  fight. 

This  discontent  had  assumed  such  proportions 
that  when  rumour  gave  out  that  they  were  not 
going  to  defend  the  Holy  City,  Kutusoff  could 
see  no  alternative  but  to   declare  his  intention 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       1 97 

of  barring  the  road  to  Moscow  against  the  French 
army. 

On  the  other  side,  the  march  upon  Moscow 
had  not  been  decided  at  the  French  headquarters 
without  a  great  deal  of  discussion.  Napoleon, 
who  had  been  detained  at  Ghat  by  the  bad  con- 
dition of  the  roads,  reduced  to  bogs  by  the  con- 
tinuous rains,  found  himself  solicited  by  Berthier, 
Ney,  Murat,  and  nearly  all  the  marshals  not  to 
continue  this  foolhardy  march,  which  threatened 
to  annihilate  what  remained  of  the  Grand  Army. 
They  asked  him  to  retrace  his  steps  and  spend 
the  winter  in  Poland,  and  from  there  in  the  spring 
march  upon  St  Petersburg  with  three  hundred 
thousand  rested  men. 

For  one  moment  Napoleon  was  on  the  point  of 
yielding  to  these  prayers,  the  weight  of  which  he 
understood  only  too  well ;  but  having  until  then 
astonished  the  world  by  the  exploits  of  the  over- 
whelming grandeurs  of  his  operations,  he  feared 
that  drawing  back  at  this  period  would  throw 
a  shadow  over  his  military  prestige,  and  that  his 
power,  which  rested  with  him  entirely,  would  be 
overthrown. 

Fine  weather  setting  in  just  at  this  juncture, 
and   the   roads   in   this   vicinity  becoming   once 


198       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

more  practicable,  Napoleon  ceased  to  hesitate. 
He  ordered  the  Grand  Army  forward,  crying 
out,  "  The  die  is  cast ;  we  must  meet  the 
Russians ! " 

"  On  the  eve  of  this  celebrated  battle,"  as  Con- 
stant tells  us,  "  there  arrived  from  Paris  to  Napo- 
leon the  portrait  of  the  King  of  Rome.  This 
loving  attention,  which  had  come  as  a  diversion 
to  him  in  the  midst  of  his  grave  anxieties,  caused 
him  great  happiness.  He  held  the  portrait  on 
his  knee  for  a  long  time,  gazing  at  it  in  ecstasy, 
and  said  '  it  was  the  most  agreeable  surprise 
which  had  ever  been  given  him.'  He  repeated 
several  times  in  a  low  voice,  '  My  dear  Louise ! 
this  is  a  loving  attention ! '  The  Emperor's 
face  was  overspread  with  an  expression  of  intense 
happiness  difficult  to  describe.  His  first  emo- 
tions were  calm  and  tinged  with  melancholy ; 
'  The  dear  child ! '  this  was  all  he  said." 

But  his  paternal  love  and  pride  beamed  forth 
as  the  officers  and  even  the  men  of  the  Old  Guard 
came,  according  to  his  orders,  to  gaze  upon  the 
features  of  the  King  of  Rome.  The  portrait  was 
exposed  before  the  Emperor's  tent.  Nothing 
could  be  more  touching  and  at  the  same  time 
more  majestic  than   the   spectacle  of  these  old 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE,      1 99 

soldiers,  uncovering  respectfully  before  the  pic- 
ture in  which  they  searched  for  some  resemblance 
to  Napoleon.  The  Emperor  at  that  moment  was 
filled  with  the  excessive  joy  of  a  father,  who  knew 
that  after  him  his  son  had  no  better  friends  than 
the  old  companions  of  his  fatigues  and  glory. 

IV. 

Eugene's  role  on  this  famous  day  of  Moscow 
was  one  of  the  most  important,  and  one  which 
showed  the  absolute  confidence  Napoleon  had  in 
his  military  talents. 

The  Russians  had  thrown  up  some  very  strong 
earthworks.  It  was  the  strongest  of  these  which 
the  Prince  received  orders  to  attack  and  capture 
at  any  price. 

Eugene  made  his  first  move,  at  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  by  a  vigorous  attack  on  the  village 
of  Borodino,  a  very  important  position,  which  he 
captured  and  kept  all  day.  Eugene  sent  Mo- 
rand's  brave  division  to  take  possession  of  the 
main  fort,  which,  after  a  desperate  struggle  against 
superior  numbers,  found  itself  on  the  point  of 
being  driven  back  from  the  summit  of  the  works. 
Just  at  this  critical  moment  the  Prince  arrived 


200       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

on  the  scene  at  the  head  of  his  other  troops,  re- 
established confidence,  and  victoriously  planted 
the  French  flag  on  the  plateau  under  the  death- 
dealing  fire  of  the  enemy.  As  far  back  as  we  may 
go  in  history,  no  other  battle  cost  what  the  battle 
of  Moscow  did  in  renowned  generals  and  officers 
with  brilliant  futures. 

How  the  poor  Vice-Queen  would  have  trem- 
bled could  she  have  seen  death  at  every  moment 
of  this  murderous  struggle  pass  so  close  to  her 
beloved  husband ! 

The  battle  Was  to  all  appearances  won.  Sud- 
denly the  left  flank  of  the  French  army,  which 
the  Russians  were  endeavouring  to  overthrow,  re- 
coiled under  an  attack  and  were  put  to  flight. 
Eugene  perceived  the  position  at  a  glance,  saw 
the  imminent  peril,  dashed  towards  Borodino 
under  a  shower  of  balls,  finding  his  regiments 
drawn  up  in  squares  to  repulse  the  massed  charges 
of  the  innumerable  Russian  cavalry,  and  soon  led 
the  tricolour  back  to  victory. 

The  principal  fort  in  the  mean  time  having 
been  retaken  by  the  Russians,  Napoleon  ordered 
Eugene  to  capture  this  position  from  the  enemy, 
it  being  the  last  point  of  resistance  remaining 
to  them.     He  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  one 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      201 

of  the  picked  regiments,  the  Ninth  of  the  Line, 
spoke  a  few  energetic  words  which  made  a  lion 
of  every  French  soldier,  bounded  to  the  summit 
of  the  redoubt  amid  a  rain  of  bullets,  captured  the 
earthwork,  and  held  it  victoriously.  This  manoeu- 
vre definitely  assured  the  victory  to  the  French 
army. 

Eugene  was  one  of  the  few  generals  who  passed 
through  the  infernal  fire,  which  lasted  from  day- 
break until  sunset,  unwounded  and  safely.  Con- 
stant gives  us  some  idea  of  the  awful  carnage 
of  this  battle,  whose  killed  numbered  ninety 
thousand  men  in  both  camps :  — 

"  The  Emperor,"  he  says,  "  haunted  the  battle-field. 
It  was  a  horrible  sight,  nearly  all  the  dead  bodies  being 
covered  with  wounds,  which  proved  with  what  fury  they 
had  fought.  It  had  commenced  to  rain ;  a  high  wind 
was  blowing.  The  wounded,  who  had  not  yet  been 
carried  away  in  ambulances,  half  raised  themselves  from 
the  ground  to  attract  attention  and  not  be  overlooked. 
There  were  some  among  them  who  cried  out  as  Napo- 
leon passed,  in  spite  of  their  sufferings  and  exhaustion, 
1  Long  live  the  Emperor ! '  Those  of  our  soldiers  who 
had  been  struck  by  Russian  balls,  displayed  wounds  as 
large  as  big  holes,  for  their  balls  were  much  bigger 
than  ours.  We  saw  a  standard-bearer  enveloped  in  his 
flag  as  in  a  shroud.  He  seemed  to  give  signs  of  life, 
but  expired  as  they  lifted  him  from  the  ground." 


202       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

In  terms  of  most  admirable  simplicity  the 
Prince  announces  to  his  Vice-Queen  this  most 
sanguinary  of  victories,  qualifying  by  the  words 
"  devoir  accompli  "  the  heroic  part  he  had  taken  : 

On  the  Battle-field,  September  8,  8  a.  m. 
I  have  only  time  to  write  you  two  words,  my  very 
dear  Augusta,  to  tell  you  that  I  am  very  well.  We 
fought  a  grand  battle  yesterday,  hotly  contested  and 
redounding  greatly  to  the  Emperor's  glory.  I  com- 
manded the  left  wing,  and  we  did  our  duty !  Picture 
my  happiness  if  you  can !  Yesterday  before  midnight 
I  was  sleeping,  bivouacked  with  the  soldiers.  Fortis 
awoke  me,  bringing  me  your  dear  letter  and  charming 
present  .  .  .  Adieu.  Rest  tranquil.  We  are  marching 
on  Moscow,  and  after  so  cruel  a  battle  every  one  needs 
repose. 

The  present  so  appreciated  by  Eugene  was  a 
miniature  portrait  of  his  three  children,  a  ver- 
itable "group  of  angels."  He  writes  thus  to 
Darnay :  — 

"  You  must  know  by  this  time,  my  dear  Darnay,  of 
our  great  battle.  Imagine  a  more  sanguinary  and  terri- 
ble affray  than  Wagram,  at  which  you  assisted.  Those 
who  came  out  safe  and  sound  can  thank  Heaven ! 
Fortis,  the  courier,  reached  here  precisely  at  midnight 
after  the  great  battle.  He  did  well  not  to  come  until 
afterwards.  The  portrait  of  my  little  family  touched  me 
greatly." 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       203 

The  day  after  this  dearly  bought  victory,  the 
Grand  Army  set  out  on  its  march  on  Moscow. 
The  idea  of  at  last  occupying  a  great  city,  where 
every  one  hoped  to  find  abundance  of  food  and 
rest,  had  made  all  hearts  light  and  gay. 

Here  are  a  few  lines  from  Eugene,  who  had 
caught  the  contagion  of  the  light-heartedness  of 
the  sorely  tried  army :  — 

In  a  Chateau,  six  leagues  and  a  half  from  Moscow, 
September  13,  181 2. 

My  dear  Augusta, — You  can  see  by  the  date  of 
my  letter  that  we  are  very  near  Moscow ;  and  if  we  do 
not  enter  to-morrow,  our  entrance  cannot  be  long  de- 
layed. It  has  been  rumoured  that  the  Russians  will 
fight  us  again  before  Moscow;  but  I  cannot  believe  it 
after  the  lesson  they  have  received,  and  the  panic  which 
reigns  among  them,  and  the  disordered  condition  of 
their  army.  It  is  commencing  to  be  very  cold  here ;  and 
we  indeed  need  to  reach  a  great  city  to  provide  our- 
selves with  the  necessaries  we  so  sadly  need.  Good- 
night ;  I  am  going  to  take  supper  now  and  go  to  bed. 
It  is  eight  o'clock,  and  I  have  been  on  horseback  all  day 
facing  Messieurs  les  Cosaques. 

V. 

On  September  14,  the  French  army,  from  the 
summit  of  the  surrounding  hills,  at  last  saw  lying 
before  them  Moscow's  gilded  domes.   What  pride 


204      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

filled  the  hearts  of  these  soldiers  who,  following 
the  footsteps  of  the  grand  conqueror,  had  tri- 
umphantly entered  every  European  capital ! 
Moscow,  the  Holy  City  of  the  Russian  Empire, 
had  alone  been  sacred  from  them  ;  and  there  she 
lay  at  their  mercy  at  the  present  moment,  colossal, 
magnificent,  with  her  vast  palaces  and  superb 
churches,  dominated  by  the  Kremlin,  ancient  for- 
tress and  palace  of  the  Czar! 

On  September  15,  Napoleon,  deeply  affected 
at  seeing  Moscow  at  his  mercy,  the  last  favour 
of  a  fortune  up  to  that  moment  fabulous,  made 
his  entry  into  the  city,  —  a  city  which  had  been 
vibrating  with  life  the  day  before,  but  which  was 
like  a  city  of  the  dead  to-day ! 

The  Russian  Governor,  Count  Rostopchin,  a 
fanatical  patriot,  had,  in  fact,  ordered  nearly  all 
the  population  to  vacate  the  city.  In  his  hatred 
of  the  conqueror,  and  in  order  to  deprive  him  of 
the  benefits  of  his  conquest,  he  conceived  the 
awful  revenge  of  delivering  Moscow  to  the  flames. 
Before  leaving  the  city  he  had  opened  the  doors 
of  the  prison  and  put  incendiary  torches  into  the 
hands  of  the  criminals.  In  his  revengeful  pre- 
cautions he  had  given  the  barbarous  order  to 
carry  away  all  the  pumps,  with  the  fiendish  idea 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       205 

of  rendering  the  enemy  powerless  to  extinguish 
the  conflagration. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  Emperor,  in  the  flush  of 
his  triumph,  had  installed  himself  in  the  Kremlin. 
How  did  he  learn  of  this  disaster  which  was  to 
suddenly  change  his  whole  destiny?  We  will 
give  Constant's  version  of  it:  — 

"  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  the  news 
was  announced  to  the  Emperor  that  the  city  was  on 
fire.  Frenchmen  living  in  the  country  and  an  officer  of 
the  Russian  police  confirmed  the  news  and  entered  into 
details  too  precise  in  their  nature  to  leave  any  doubt 
in  the  Emperor's  mind  as  to  the  truth  of  their  asser- 
tion.    However,  he  still  persisted  in  not  believing  it. 

"  '  But  it  is  not  possible !  Can  you  believe  such  a 
thing,  Constant  ?     Go  and  see  if  it  is  true.' 

"  Then  he  threw  himself  back  on  his  bed,  trying  to 
get  a  little  rest.  In  a  few  moments  he  called  me  again 
to  ask  the  same  questions.  .  .  . 

"  The  Emperor  passed  the  night  in  violent  agitation. 
When  day  broke,  he  knew  the  worst.  .  .  . 

"  Soon  the  most  incredible  reports  commenced  to 
pour  in.  Russians  had  been  caught  feeding  the  flames 
and  throwing  inflammable  materials  into  the  portions  of 
the  houses  still  standing  intact  The  Russians  who  were 
taking  no  active  part  in  the  incendiary  work  stood  with 
crossed  arms,  contemplating  the  disaster  with  an  impas- 
sibility of  which  you  could  conceive  no  idea.  .  .  . 

"  The  Russian  soldiers  and  police  had  been  seen  stir- 


206       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

ring  up  the  flames  with  their  iron  lances.  Shells  placed 
in  the  stoves  of  several  houses  had  burst  and  wounded 
many  of  our  soldiers.  In  the  streets  filthy,  hideous 
women  and  drunken  men  ran  to  the  burning  houses, 
and,  snatching  burning  fagots,  were  about  to  carry  them 
elsewhere  to  spread  the  conflagration.  Our  soldiers 
were  obliged  many  times  to  beat  them  out  of  their 
hands  with  their  swords.  .  .  . 

"  Napoleon,  who  had  gone  out  to  satisfy  himself  as  to 
the  true  condition  of  affairs,  had  his  gray  coat  burned 
in  several  places,  and  his  hair  singed.  A  moment  later 
we  were  walking  over  firebrands." 

The  fire  spread  so  rapidly  that  even  the  distant 
Kremlin,  where  Napoleon  lodged,  was  at  one  time 
in  danger.  Great  sparks  driven  by  the  high 
winds  fell  in  the  large  park  where  the  ammu- 
nition was  stored,  and  threatened  to  blow  up  the 
Kremlin  with  its  illustrious  inmate  and  the  Impe- 
rial Guard.  In  consequence  of  this  fierce  con- 
flagration, the  Emperor  and  his  army  were  forced 
to  evacuate  Moscow  for  a  few  days. 

Eugene,  with  his  ever-present  thought  not  to 
frighten  the  Princess,  contents  himself  with  saying 
on  the  subject  of  this  irreparable  catastrophe: 

Moscow,  September  15,  1812. 
My  DEAR  Augusta,  —  I  write  to  you  from  the  sub- 
urbs of  Moscow,  where  I  am  quartered  with  my  corps 
of  the  army.    The  Russians  evacuated  the  city  yesterday, 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       207 

but,  before  going,  set  fire  to  it  in  twenty  different  places, 
especially  in  the  merchants'  quarters,  where  all  the  stores 
are  located,  consequently  all  the  provisions.  Nothing 
could  have  been  more  barbarous.  The  army  will  get  a 
good  rest,  I  hope ;  and  this  rest  will  be  a  good  time  to 
repair  our  luggage  and  utensils.  The  cold  is  very  severe, 
and  will  be  worse  before  another  month  comes  around. 

This  city  is  grand.  It  contains  magnificent  palaces 
side  by  side  with  wretched  huts.  On  the  whole,  though, 
it  is  a  beautiful  city ;  but  as  the  nobility  and  rich  have 
fled,  there  remains  only  the  populace. 

Two  days  later,  while  the  great  fire  continued 
its  ravages,  —  a  fire  which  lasted  four  days  and  de- 
stroyed four-fifths  of  Moscow,  —  he  writes  again : 

Moscow,  September  17,  18 12,  Evening. 
My  DEAR  AUGUSTA,  — Allari,  the  courier,  will  hand 
you  this  letter.  He  will  give  you  the  details  of  the  grand 
battle,  which  he  witnessed  from  afar.  He  can  also  tell 
you  how  far  the  Russians  carried  their  barbarism.  They 
set  fire  to  the  immense  city  of  Moscow,  and  you  can 
conceive  no  idea  of  the  horrible  spectacle  we  have  had 
before  our  eyes  for  the  last  three  days.  The  city  is  still 
burning.  My  health  continues  good,  and  would  be 
better  if  I  only  had  the  hope  of  seeing  you  soon  to 
cheer  me  up. 

The  courier  being  delayed  the  next  day,  Eugene, 
on  second  thought,  preferring  that  the  Princess 
should  learn  all  the  details  of  the  catastrophe, 


208      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

which  entirely  changed  the  situation,  traced  the 
following  touching  picture:  — 

Moscow,  September  18,  1812,  Evening. 
I  could  not  send  Allari  off  yesterday,  as  I  had  thought 
to,  as  I  was  obliged  to  be  with  the  Emperor  all  day, 
my  very  dear  Augusta.  I  cannot  get  him  off  before 
to-morrow  at  daybreak ;  and  he  will  be  all  of  twenty- 
eight  or  thirty  days  on  the  road.  The  city  is  almost 
entirely  reduced  to  ashes,  and  it  was  one  of  the  handsom- 
est in  Europe.  It  contains  some  magnificent  palaces, 
in  a  great  number  of  which  the  barbaric  gorgeousness  of 
the  Russian  taste  was  displayed  in  all  its  lavishness.  In 
setting  fire  to  this  city,  they  ruined  three  hundred  thou- 
sand inhabitants  and  six  hundred  of  the  most  powerful 
nobles  in  Russia,  for  the  sake  of  depriving  us  of  some 
provisions  in  flour,  wine,  clothes,  and  shoes.  We  have 
succeeded  in  arresting  about  thirty  of  these  miserable 
bandits  just  in  time  to  prevent  them  from  starting  fresh 
fires.  Many  were  massacred  on  the  spot  by  our  furious 
soldiers.  Enough  remained  for  us  to  judge  of  them, 
and  among  them  is  an  officer  wearing  a  Russian  deco- 
ration. All  these  wretches  have  confessed  that  they 
were  paid  to  do  this,  and  that  they  only  acted  under 
the  Governor  of  Moscow's  orders.  You  cannot  imagine 
anything  to  equal  the  horrible  spectacle  we  have  had 
under  our  eyes  during  this  fire.  There  still  remain 
eighty  or  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  city. 
They  are  at  present  without  food,  without  clothing,  with- 
out a  shelter  for  their  heads,  at  the  approach  of  a  season 
which  is  severe  indeed.    It  is  horrible  to  contemplate. 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       209 

It  can  easily  be  imagined  that  in  the  days  follow- 
ing these  scenes  of  desolation  before  Moscow  in 
ashes,  life  was  deplorably  sad  for  the  army.  While 
awaiting  an  order  to  march  forward,  the  officers 
and  soldiers  amused  themselves  as  they  could: 

In  Camp  near  Moscow,  September  21,  181 2. 

A  terrible  storm  has  been  raging  since  day  before 
yesterday,  my  very  dear  Augusta.  It  only  ceased  rain- 
ing this  morning,  and  we  were  glad  indeed  to  see  signs 
of  approaching  clear  weather.  I  am  holding  myself  in 
readiness  for  marching  orders.  There  is  a  question  of 
sending  some  troops  forward  toward  St  Petersburg,  and 
it  will  probably  be  my  corps  of  the  army.  The  loca- 
tion of  winter-quarters  is  being  discussed  ;  and  it  is 
almost  certain  there  will  be  no  more  fighting  this  year. 
It  is  even  thought  the  Russians  will  consent  to  peace 
when  they  see  we  are  determined  to  maintain  our 
footing  in  the  country. 

I  imagine  that  you  follow  all  our  movements  on 
the  map,  and  I  am  sure  you  can  obtain  a  good  one  of 
Russia.  I  passed  yesterday  evening  with  the  Emperor. 
We  play  vingt-et-un  to  while  away  the  time.  I  foresee 
we  are  going  to  find  the  evenings  very  long:  there  is 
not  the  slightest  distraction  for  us,  not  even  billiards. 
Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta  ;  without  distractions,  as  with 
all  the  amusements  in  the  world  at  my  disposal,  I 
desire  you  just  as  ardently,  and  the  companionship  of 
my  little  ones. 
vol.  1.  —  14 


2IO      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

On  September  24,  when  three  months  must 
still  elapse  before  the  New  Year,  Eugene  sent 
some  presents  to  Milan,  —  a  delicate  attention 
most  natural  on  the  part  of  a  husband  filled  with 
tender  solicitude  as  was  Eugene,  who,  at  this 
early  date,  was  oppressed  with  uncertainties  for 
the  future. 

Moscow,  September  24,  181 2,  Evening. 
As  I  cannot  tell  how  much  longer  our  communica- 
tions will  be  open,  I  take  advantage  of  the  departure 
of  the  courier  to  send  you  these  New  Year's  gifts.  The 
furs  are  the  handsomest  I  could  buy  in  all  this  disorder. 
It  is  a  long  time  ahead  for  New  Year's  gifts ;  but  it  is 
still  possible  that  everything  is  over  for  the  present, 
and  in  that  case  I  shall  go  to  you  myself.  I  will  en- 
deavour to  find  something  for  the  little  ones,  but  this 
is  very  difficult:    they  are  all  bears  here. 

The  following  letter  was  positive  proof  of  these 
precautions,  and  shows  that  his  haste  to  profit  by  the 
departure  of  a  courier  was  foresight  on  his  part : 

Moscow,  September  26,  181 2. 

My  very  dear  Augusta,  — I  wrote  to  you  twice  the 
day  before  yesterday,  —  by  the  express  in  the  morning, 
the  courier  in  the  evening ;  but  the  latter  has  been  un- 
able to  set  out,  on  account  of  a  party  of  Cossacks  who 
are  harassing  our  rear.  I  am  afraid  that  some  of  my 
letters  will  serve  as  amusement  for  them  instead  of 
tranquillising  you. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      211 

To  calm  his  wife  is  the  constant  thought  of 
the  Prince,  who,  after  each  letter  received  from 
her,  never  failed  to  despatch  a  courier,  or,  if  need 
be,  an  officer,  with  a  letter. 

On  September  27  snow  commenced  to  fall,  an 
early  herald  of  the  rigours  of  this  winter,  which 
was  destined  to  annihilate  this  hitherto  victori- 
ous French  army.  As  though  he  wished,  by 
evoking  agreeable  remembrances,  to  take  his 
thoughts  from  the  sad  reality  which  surrounded 
him,  Eugene  worried  over  the  least  and  most 
minute  details  of  the  life  the  Princess  led  so  far 

away  from  him. 

Moscow,  September  28,  1812. 

The  courier  has  at  last  set  out  with  the  furs  and  a 
small  provision  of  tea.  He  will  arrive,  I  hope,  in  time 
for  the  first  of  your  evenings,  when  this  tea  will  replace 
the  ices.  Here  we  shall  have  more  ice  than  tea,  and 
every  one  is  wrapping  himself  up  in  consequence.  For 
my  part,  I  shall  be  in  furs  from  head  to  foot.  It  snowed 
a  little  yesterday.  To-day  the  air  is  dry  and  cold. 
This  is  better  than  the  heavy  rains  we  have  been  hav- 
ing. I  received  your  letters  of  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th 
of  September,  and  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  feel- 
ing well.  I  share  the  sorrow  you  express  at  my  mother's 
departure.  You  will  feel  very  lonely  and  sad  now 
that  she  has  left  you.  I  suppose  you  are  comfortably 
established  at  Monza.  Did  you  find  it  much  improved? 
Do  the  hares   still   eat  the   young  trees?     Are   there 


212       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

many  pheasants?  Did  you  see  about  the  villa?  These 
few  little  details  it  would  please  me  greatly  to  know 
about. 

The  army  having  ceased  to  march  and  fight, 
Eugene  was  only  too  happy  to  be  able  by  this 
short  respite  to  take  up  the  sweet  habit  of  chat- 
ting each  day,  and  oftener  twice  than  once,  with 
his  wife.  The  courier  carrying  the  preceding 
letter  had  not  accomplished  the  first  day  of  his 
journey  when  Eugene  wrote  again,  while  under 
the  influence  of  the  intense  pleasure  he  had  felt 
upon  receiving  the  little  souvenirs  sent  by  the 
Vice-Queen  and  the  Empress  Josephine. 

Moscow,  September  29,  181 2. 
You  can  picture  my  joy  on  receiving  such  good  news 
of  my  little  family.  I  thank  you  a  thousand  times  for 
the  watch-chain.  Every  one  at  the  Emperor's  head- 
quarters complimented  me  on  it  this  evening.  I  shall 
attach  the  key  and  seal  sent  by  the  Empress.  I  had  a 
few  of  my  generals  and  marshals  to  dinner  to-day ;  and 
the  habitual  dessert  of  showing  the  portraits  of  the  five 
beings  dearest  to  my  heart  passed  off  with  great  iclat. 

VI. 

Napoleon,  though  victorious,  recognised  the 
urgent  desire  felt  by  the  army,  exhausted  by  long 
marches  rather  than  by  battles,  for  a  treaty  of 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       2 1  3 

peace  before  the  season  of  intense  cold,  and  be- 
fore he  could  decide  upon  his  winter  headquar- 
ters. He  made  several  overtures  to  Alexander 
on  the  subject,  but  his  advances  were  fruitless. 
What  was  he  to  do  ?  Napoleon  had  mapped 
out  a  most  brilliant  manoeuvre,  —  an  oblique 
march  towards  the  north,  which  would  have 
brought  him  close  to  the  magazines  of  Poland, 
and  at  the  same  time  made  possible  a  siege  of  St. 
Petersburg.  But  his  marshals  declared  unani- 
mously that  the  army  was  not  in  a  condition  to 
risk  long  tramps  over  unknown  routes. 

The  question  of  wintering  in  Moscow  was 
mooted.  Daru,  Secretary  of  State,  who  had  ac- 
companied Napoleon  as  Adjutant-General  of  the 
army,  and  was  consequently  the  best  judge  of 
the  matter,  had  recommended  this  plan,  judging 
it  easier  to  feed  the  army  at  Moscow,  where  there 
was  a  stock  of  provisions  sufficient  for  several 
months,  than  to  lead  it  to  Poland  across  icy 
roads.  The  idea  of  passing  the  winter  among  the 
ashes  of  Moscow,  which  prevailed  for  a  moment, 
gave  rise  doubtless  to  the  unexpected  demand 
made  by  Napoleon  to  Eugene  to  import  some 
Italian  singers  to  enliven  the  monotony  of  their 
sad  winter  residence. 


214      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Moscow,  October  i,  1812. 
The  question  of  remaining  here  for  the  winter  is 
being  discussed,  but  every  one  hopes  the  enemy  will 
think  twice  before  dooming  us  to  remain  here,  instead  of 
making  terms  of  peace ;  but  all  and  each  of  us  try  to 
bear  our  part  bravely,  and  you  know  how  much  it  will 
cost  me  to  be  still  further  away  from  you  and  my 
little  ones.  The  Emperor  is  thinking  of  having  some 
actors  sent  from  Paris  and  some  singers  from  Milan  ; 
and  yet,  in  spite  of  all  this,  you  may  imagine  we  shall 
pass  our  winter  coldly  and  sadly. 

Reading  over  the  following  letter,  which  makes 
an  allusion  to  the  project  of  having  actors  and 
singers  sent  to  Moscow,  one  asks  oneself  if  it 
were  not  a  pretence  destined  to  inspire  the  enemy 
with  more  peaceful  reflections:  — 

Moscow,  October  9,  18 12. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  matters  will  arrange  them- 
selves soon  for  the  winter.  The  more  preparations  we 
make  for  remaining  here,  the  more  urgent  the  Russians 
will  be  to  see  us  evacuate  one  way  or  another.  Do 
not  get  frightened  when  you  hear  we  intend  sending 
for  actors ;  that  we  shall  give  dramas,  etc.  All  this  will 
only  tend  to  satisfy  the  Russians  that  we  are  not  going 
to  leave  them  as  soon  as  they  thought  we  should,  and 
they  will  act  more  quickly.  The  weather  has  been  very 
fine  for  the  past  few  days.  The  sick  men  are  recover- 
ing, and  we  are  now  laying  in  a  stock  of  provisions  for 
the  winter,  and  clothing  and  furs.     We  are  expecting 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       2 1 5 

windmills  from  France,  with  which  to  grind  our  corn. 
We  shall  have  made,  by  our  vanquished  difficulties  and 
the  rapidity  of  our  marches,  the  most  astonishing  cam- 
paign and  the  shortest  we  have  ever  experienced  up  to 
the  present  time. 

In  spite  of  the  mournful  sadness  of  his  present 
existence,  Eugene,  true  French  soldier  as  he  was, 
did  not  lose  his  sense  of  humour.  He  joked  as 
he  depicted  the  Russian  cold :  — 

Moscow,  October  18,  181 2. 
It  seems  we  are  not  to  leave  either  to-day  or  to- 
morrow. There  is  some  parley  at  headquarters,  but  I 
think  of  little  consequence.  I  think  you  had  better 
remain  at  Monza  until  the  middle  of  November,  espe- 
cially if  the  fine  weather  continues.  Do  not  expect  to 
see  us  return  as  we  set  out,  for  they  tell  me  the  noses 
and  ears  of  strangers  freeze  very  easily  in  winter  here. 
We  shall  all  be  very  homely  if  they  leave  us  here. 

A  sharp  and  sudden  frost  forced  Napoleon  to 
put  an  end  to  his  indecision.  On  October  19, 
the  army  left  the  Holy  City ;  and  under  a  clear 
sky  Eugene  and  his  companions  saw  for  the  last 
time  the  few  gilded  domes  which  the  fire  fiends 
had  spared.  The  never-to-be-forgotten  retreat 
from  Russia  had  commenced. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Retreat  from  Russia.  —  Misery  and  Sanguinary  Combats.  — 
Smolensk.  —  The  Beresina.  —  The  Emperor  leaves  the  Army. 

—  The  Twenty-ninth  Bulletin.  —  Last  Proofs.  —  Defections. 

—  Adieux  to  the  Cossacks. 

I. 

LEAVING  Moscow,  Napoleon  imagined  he 
was  pursuing  the  Russians,  momentarily  at 
least,  and  not  entering  upon  the  most  disastrous 
of  retreats.  The  first  encounter  took  place  at 
Malo-Jaroslawetz,  where  the  Russians  endeav- 
oured to  bar  his  passage. 

Malo-Jaroslawetz  is  a  village  situated  on  a  hill. 
The  French  were  obliged  to  cross  the  Lougea, 
—  a  river  running  at  the  foot  of  this  village,  — 
and  to  climb  the  hill  under  a  murderous  fire,  to 
wrench  this  important  position  from  the  Rus- 
sians. The  enemy  was  not  only  in  a  position  to 
bar  the  way,  but  also  to  throw  the  French  back 
into  the  Lougea.  General  Delzous,  who,  under 
Eugene's  orders,  had  gained  the  heights,  and 
taken  the  village  at   the  point  of  the  bayonet, 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       2  1 7 

fell,  mortally  wounded.  His  brother,  who  had 
stood  beside  him,  and  who  had  tried  to  save  his 
body  from  the  enemy,  was  also  killed. 

The  French  were  on  the  point  of  being  re- 
pulsed, when  Eugene  dashed  forward,  and  under 
the  terrible  artillery  fire  of  the  Russians,  climbed 
the  hill,  strewn  with  the  dead  and  dying.  Six 
times  the  village  was  taken  and  retaken  by  furious 
charges  in  the  midst  of  the  flames  of  the  neigh- 
bouring houses,  which  enveloped  the  combatants ; 
but  nothing  could  make  this  intrepid  Prince,  ready 
to  die  or  to  sacrifice  his  last  man  rather  than 
leave  the  Russians  master  of  a  position  upon 
which  depended  the  welfare  of  the  army,  aban- 
don his  enterprise.  He  called  the  Pino  Division 
and  the  Royal  Italian  Guard  to  his  assistance ; 
and  after  a  furious  hand-to-hand  struggle,  he 
succeeded  in  capturing  Malo-Jaroslawetz  for  the 
seventh  time,  and  held  it  victoriously  in  the  midst 
of  the  smoking  ruins. 

He  announced  this  grand  feat  of  arms  in  the 
following  simple  words  to  the  Princess:  — 

Malo-Jaroslawetz,  October  25,  1812. 
I  have   only  time  to   write  a  few  words,  my   dear 
Augusta.     I  am  very  well.     Yesterday  was  a  grand  day 
for  my  corps  of  the  army.     We  fought  from  morning 


2l8       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

until  night  with  eight  divisions  of  the  enemy  ;  but  I  kept 
my  position.  French  and  Italians  covered  themselves 
with  glory. 

The  Journal  de  t Empire  describes  in  a  much 
more  detailed  manner  the  heroic  part  taken  by 
Eugene  in  this  sanguinary  battle :  — 

"  The  latest  news  from  the  Emperor  is  under  date  of 
November  3d.  His  Majesty  is  in  the  best  of  health. 
The  weather  continues  fine,  and  the  army  are  moving 
forward  in  the  most  perfect  order  since  the  vigorous 
lesson  the  enemy  received  at  Malo-Jaroslawetz. 

"  This  brilliant  affair  reflects  the  greatest  honour  on 
the  corps  under  command  of  the  Viceroy  of  Italy.  In 
this  engagement  the  Prince  proved  himself  the  worthy 
pupil  of  the  great  captain  under  whom  he  learned  the  art 
of  war ;  and  he  displayed  in  his  tactics  the  bravery  of 
a  young  warrior,  joined  to  the  experience  of  an  old 
general.  The  Russians,  superior  in  number,  returned 
ten  times  to  the  charge,  and  ten  times  were  they  re- 
pulsed from  the  battle-field,  strewing  it  with  their  dead 
and  wounded.  The  Prince,  rallying  his  soldiers  by  his 
presence,  planned  his  attacks  calmly,  and  executed  them 
vigorously.  When,  after  the  enemy's  retreat,  His  Impe- 
rial Highness  passed  the  division  in  review,  the  troops 
greeted  him  with  the  wildest  enthusiasm,  and  unanimous 
acclamations  were  heard  all  along  the  line." 

In  writing  the  details  of  this  battle  for  the 
Emperor,  Eugene,  with  his  usual  modesty,  gener- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       219 

ously  forgot  himself,  to  cover  the  generals  and 
officers  who  had  fought  under  him  with  the 
warmest  praises. 

His  description  written  for  the  Emperor  gives 
several  very  interesting  details  of  the  different 
phases  of  this  furious  fight :  — 

"  Three  times  the  Russians  succeeded  in  driving  us 
back  to  the  river,  and  three  times  our  troops  rallied 
before  the  bridge,  and,  aided  by  the  reserves  in  the 
advance-guard,  dashed  up  the  hill  in  a  mad,  impet- 
uous charge  on  the  first  Russian  batteries,  shouting, 
1  Vive  l'Empereur !  '  The  position  of  their  army  was 
protected  by  an  embankment  whose  summit  was  forti- 
fied by  three  redoubts,  and  over  which  fresh  columns  of 
attacking  men  climbed  every  minute.  Their  generals 
led  them  to  the  attack  against  us  eight  times,  but  the 
French  and  Italian  troops  rivalled  them  in  intrepidity. 
We  repulsed  all  their  attacks  at  the  bayonet-point,  and 
the  Russians  left  the  ground  covered  with  their  dead. 

"  I  must  draw  Your  Majesty's  attention  to  the  fact 
that  all  the  regiments  of  my  corps  of  the  army  cov- 
ered themselves  with  glory.  French  and  Italian  vied 
with  each  other  in  giving  testimony  to  Your  Majesty  of 
their  devotion  and  love." 

Eugene,  after  giving  the  names  of  several  of 
the  generals  and  colonels,  concluded  by  this  touch- 
ing appeal  to  Napoleon  in  favour  of  the  family  of 
General  Delzous :  — 


220       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"The  Fourth  Army  Corps  are  deeply  grieved  over 
General  Delzous's  death.  To  tell  Your  Majesty  that  he 
leaves  a  wife,  four  children,  and  twelve  brothers  without 
means  of  any  kind,  is  to  assure  their  comfort  for  the 
future." 

I  have  dwelt  at  length  on  this  battle,  which  was 
so  glorious  for  Eugene,  for  the  reason  that,  with 
twenty  thousand  men  under  his  command,  he 
battled  against  and  overcame  an  opposing  force 
of  eighty  thousand,  and  has  handed  down  to  his- 
tory one  of  the  finest  feats  of  arms  in  the  as- 
tonishing campaigns  which  Napoleon's  military 
genius  offers  to  the  admiration  of  posterity ! 

After  such  a  terrible  struggle,  and  a  whole  day 
spent  on  horseback,  in  the  midst  of  the  fatigues 
and  constant  anxiety  of  the  hasty  march  which 
followed,  the  loving,  thoughtful  husband  found 
time  to  write  and  reassure  the  fearful  wife  so  far 
away  from  him,  and  trembling  for  his  life.  If  he 
must  renounce  the  hope,  which  until  then  had  sus- 
tained him,  of  a  speedy  return  home,  he  rejoiced 
that  his  army  was  to  take  up  its  winter-quarters 
and  find  a  shelter  against  the  intense  cold  which 
was  making  itself  already  felt :  — 

Tunechewo,  October  26,  181 2. 
I  repeat  to  you  again  that  I  am  feeling  well,  and  that 
the  engagement  just  fought  reflected  glory  on  my  corps 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      221 

and  on  myself.  We  have  been  marching  since  midday. 
It  seems  we  are  drawing  near  our  winter-quarters. 
We  must  go  as  far  as  Siberia  to  pursue  these  cursed 
Russians.  You  and  I  must  give  up  the  hope  of  being 
together  as  soon  as  we  anticipated;  but  when  we  do 
meet,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  shall  never  be  separated 
again.  Your  letters  of  the  28th,  29th,  and  30th  of  Sep- 
tember have  not  reached  me.  It  is  to  be  hoped  those 
dear  Cossacks  are  not  enjoying  them.  Adieu.  I  did 
not  get  much  sleep  last  night,  and  I  have  been  on 
horseback  all  day. 

In  the  letter  which  follows,  he  speaks  for  the 
first  time  of  the  intense  sufferings  caused  by  the 
cold,  and  gives  a  glimpse  of  the  difficulties  of 
the  army's  situation,  but  with  what  proud  confi- 
dence in  the  invincibility  of  the  French  arms ! 

In  Camp  at  Mojaisk,  October  29,  1812. 
I  am  writing  to  you,  dear  Augusta,  from  the  same 
little  chateau  where  I  was  lodged  after  the  battle  of 
Moscow.  To  all  appearances  we  are  drawing  near 
Smolensk,  —  first,  to  find  rest ;  second,  to  find  provisions 
for  the  winter.  We  are  commencing  to  suffer  from  the 
cold.  It  freezes  very  hard  at  night,  but  the  weather 
is  very  fortunate  for  us,  for  the  mud  does  not  bother  us 
now  that  the  ground  is  frozen  over.  It  is  rumoured 
that  the  enemy  has  become  more  courageous  since  we  left 
Moscow,  and  that  it  is  his  intention  to  cut  off  our  route 
to  Smolensk.  If  this  happens,  we  shall  get  even  with 
him  for  the  loss  of  two  or  three  of  our  couriers,  and 
the  enemy  will  be  exterminated. 


222       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

II. 

The  Russians,  though  avoiding  a  great  battle, 
pursued  the  French  army  with  unremitting  as- 
siduity, enveloping  it  with  a  cloud  of  Cossacks, 
and  trying  to  cut  off  the  straggling  columns  in 
order  to  destroy  them.  At  Tsarewo-Zai'mitche 
the  Viceroy's  corps,  crossing  over  a  narrow,  dan- 
gerous gorge,  suddenly  found  themselves  under 
the  fire  of  a  formidable  body  of  Russian  artil- 
lery aided  by  many  Cossacks.  To  crown  their 
misfortune,  a  bridge  which  was  indispensable 
for  the  passage  of  the  troops  had  broken  down 
under  the  enormous  weight  of  horses  and  lug- 
gage. The  peril  was  extreme.  Eugene,  putting 
a  brave  face  on  the  matter,  and  exercising  his 
military  talent,  opened  a  way  through  the  enemy's 
ranks;  although  he  had  passed  the  entire  night 
on  horseback,  he  never  thought  of  taking  a 
moment's  repose  until  the  last  of  his  men  were 
out  of  danger. 

His  march  was  retarded  by  thousands  of  lag- 
gards and  a  number  of  helpless  wounded.  On 
reaching  Wiazma,  he  again  found  his  route  barred 
by  a  strong  force  of  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and 
it  was  only  after  a  rough  battle  that  he  was 
enabled  to  pierce  this  living  wall.      These  con- 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       223 

tinuous  and  hopeless  struggles  he  called  bonnes 
occupations. 

Semlowo,  November  4,  181 2,  5  p.  m. 
I  do  not  know  how  many  days  have  elapsed  since  I 
wrote  to  you,  my  very  dear  Augusta.  It  has  been 
impossible  for  me  to  write  to  you  before.  Since  my 
engagement  at  Malo-Jaroslawetz,  I  have  constantly  been 
engaged  with  bonnes  occupations.  I  wrote  to  you  from 
a  little  chateau  near  Moja'isk  that  we  were  marching  for- 
ward to  find  a  suitable  place  for  a  winter-encampment, 
and  one  more  accessible  to  provisions  for  the  army. 
Since  that  time,  the  enemy  has  amused  himself  by  sting- 
ing our  rear-guard ;  and  every  day  we  have  been  at- 
tacked by  some  of  their  numerous  cavalry.  At  last 
they  opened  fire  on  Marshal  Davout  yesterday,  who 
was  in  charge  of  the  rear-guard,  and  at  the  same  time 
attacked  my  flank.  For  an  instant  one  of  my  divisions 
was  cut  off  from  me ;  but  Marshal  Davout  repulsed 
them,  and  together  we  continued  our  march  on  Wiazma. 
Our  two  corps  were  separated  from  the  rest  of  the 
troops,  and  the  whole  of  the  enemy's  army  seemed  upon 
us.  We  executed  some  fine  retrograde  movements. 
Hunger  and  fatigue  bothered  us  a  little ;  but  I  think 
when  we  reach  Smolensk,  we  shall  find  more  abundance. 
We  need  only  a  few  more  days  of  patience  to  have 
plenty  around  us.  Adieu,  my  very  dear  friend.  I 
leave  you  now  to  throw  myself  on  a  bearskin  and  sleep, 
and  God  knows  I  need  the  latter. 

The  retreat  continued  over  this  desolate  route, 
—  a  mute  witness  of  the  opening  battles,  when 


224       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

hope  in  the  glory  and  faith  in  the  future  filled 
their  hearts.  What  a  striking  contrast !  The 
army  once  more  looked  upon  the  bloody  theatres 
of  its  vain  successes,  still  covered  with  the  un- 
buried  dead,  twisted  guns,  and  demolished  gun- 
carriages.  Now  they  were  marching  forward, 
shivering,  hungry,  and  despairing,  in  a  march 
which  already  commenced  to  take  upon  itself 
the  ugly  aspect  of  a  retreat. 

Eugene  was  careful  not  to  write  all  the  details 
of  this  sombre  picture  to  his  wife,  but  he  dwelt 
upon  little  personal  discomforts  which  he  thought 
would  bring  a  smile  to  her  lips  rather  than 
afflict  her  soul,  as  he  knew  the  avowal  of  the  too 
lamentable  truth  would. 

He  spoke  of  his  privations  and  perils  with  a 
smiling  stoicism  worthy  of  the  heroic  legend 
which  has  grown  up  around  those  terrible  events. 

Boldin,  November  6,  1812,  8  A.  M. 
.  .  .  The  Emperor  was  very  well  satisfied  with  my 
corps  of  the  army  in  the  last  engagement.  The  enemy 
has  not  annoyed  us  these  past  few  days,  and  I  think  we 
are  at  the  end  of  our  campaign  for  the  present.  We 
have  suffered  some  privations  for  several  days.  We 
are  marching  over  the  route  the  army  followed  on 
its  march  to  Moscow,  and  it  is  in  just  such  strange 
circumstances    men   are   tried;    it   is   a   good    school. 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      225 

Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta.  My  health  is  good.  Yester- 
day I  made  a  toilette  of  which  I  stood  badly  in  need. 
It  was  —  would  you  believe  it  ?  —  ten  days  since  I 
had  been  shaved.     I  looked  like  a  Capuchin.  .  .  . 

Three  days  later,  Eugene's  corps  underwent  one 
of  those  disasters  with  which  the  history  of  this 
memorable  retreat  is  sown.  To  enable  the  army 
to  cross  the  Wop,  swollen  and  turbulent,  filled 
with  great  cakes  of  ice,  the  Prince  had  sent  his 
pontoon-builders  ahead.  Before  the  bridge  was 
finished,  the  cattle,  crowded  forward  by  the  women 
and  children  who  burdened  the  army,  but  whom 
for  humanity's  sake  it  was  a  duty  to  protect, 
precipitated  themselves  in  the  darkness  over  the 
arches  of  the  unfinished  bridge ;  and  the  head 
of  this  sad  column  was  pitilessly  submerged  in 
the  swift,  angry  waters,  which  closed  over  them, 
cutting  off  a  supply  of  provisions  in  a  manner 
appalling  in  its  awfulness.  The  cries  of  the 
victims  frightened  the  crowd  behind,  who  rushed 
ahead  in  wild  confusion.  The  infantry  and  cav- 
alry were  obliged  to  cross  the  Wop  on  foot,  at 
the  price  of  great  sufferings. 

The  cannons  blocked  up  the  ford,  rendering  it 
impassable.  Added  to  these  horrors,  the  Cossacks 
on  an  opposite  hill  fired  into  the  crowd  of  strug- 

VOL.   I.  —  15 


226       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

gling  human  beings  and  dumb  beasts,  from  the 
midst  of  whom  arose  cries  of  despair  and  women's 
heart-rending  sobs.  The  Prince  crossed  the  Wop 
at  the  head  of  his  troops,  dispersed  the  Cossacks, 
and  worked  until  nightfall  trying  to  save  these 
unhappy  creatures,  finally  succeeding  in  placing 
them  in  safety  on  the  opposite  bank.  But  the 
greater  part  of  the  luggage,  seven  or  eight  pieces 
of  cannon,  —  that  is  to  say,  nearly  all  of  the  Vice- 
roy's artillery,  —  remained  buried  in  the  river  and 
had  to  be  abandoned  to  the  enemy. 

Eugene  in  this  disaster  worked  with  a  super- 
human energy  without  a  thought  of  himself.  For 
the  first  time  he  was  obliged  to  admit  that  he 
suffered.  But  if  his  bodily  strength  was  limited, 
his  brave  heart  remained  the  same ;  his  con- 
stancy and  ardour  were  incapable  of  discourage- 
ment or  weakness.  These  few  following  lines  are 
a  striking  proof  of  what  I  have  just  said :  — 

Duchowschtschina,  November  n,  1812. 
I  hasten  to  give  you  some  news  of  myself,  my  dear 
Augusta.  This  I  have  been  unable  to  do  for  the  past 
four  days.  My  health  is  fairly  good.  I  say  fairly,  for 
I  am  suffering  with  one  of  my  limbs,  which  is  very  much 
swollen.  I  think  this  is  due  to  fatigue.  I  have  been 
very  much  inconvenienced  these  last  few  days,  for  the 
weather  and   the  season   are  so  bad  that  to  continue 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.        2  2J 

my  march  I  have  been  obliged  to  abandon  part  of  my 
artillery  and  nearly  all  my  luggage.  We  are  greatly  in 
need  of  rest,  and  I  hope  it  will  not  be  denied  us  long. 
Our  misfortunes  are  great;  but  when  one's  courage 
remains,  that  is  the  essential  point! 

The  troops  having  rested  on  the  nth  and 
1 2th,  the  advance-guard  began  its  march  on  Smo- 
lensk. To  light  up  the  route  for  the  army,  they 
set  fire  to  the  miserable  wooden  huts  which  lined 
the  wayside,  and  which  had  been  deserted  by 
their  inhabitants.  This  doleful  light  indicated 
the  right  road  to  the  corps,  which  followed  in 
their  footsteps.  The  cold  was  becoming  intense. 
It  was  decided  that  it  was  impossible  to  take  the 
women  any  further,  these  latter  having  followed 
the  army  since  leaving  Moscow. 

Napoleon,  on  setting  out  from  Smolensk,  had 
committed  one  of  the  rare  errors  of  his  military 
career.  Persuaded  that  the  Russians  would  not 
dare  to  make  any  serious  attack  upon  him,  he 
had,  instead  of  keeping  the  army  together,  or- 
dered the  departure  of  the  different  corps  on 
different  days.  If  the  Russians  did  not  dare 
molest  Napoleon,  surrounded  as  he  was  by  his 
Old  Guard,  they  did  not  experience  the  same 
fear  with  regard  to  his  lieutenants.     After  allow- 


2  28       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

ing  the  Emperor  to  pass,  they  barred  Eugene's 
passage  at  Krasnoi. 

Just  before  reaching  Krasnoi  is  a  very  steep 
ravine.  Eugene,  who  had  no  suspicion  of  the 
Russians'  intentions,  reached  the  ravine  without 
any  warning,  to  find  it  bristling  with  cannon 
and  filled  with  the  enemy's  infantry.  He  had 
only  six  thousand  men  with  him,  —  all  that  re- 
mained to  him  of  the  superb  army  of  eighty 
thousand  men,  with  which  he  had  entered  Russia. 

With  one  quick  glance,  the  young  general  had 
taken  in  the  situation.  He  must  cut  his  way, 
sword  in  hand,  through  this  compact  mass. 

Without  losing  an  instant,  he  ordered  Brous- 
sier's  heroic  division  to  charge  at  the  bayonet's 
point  on  the  enemy's  batteries.  The  three  thou- 
sand brave  fellows  dashed  forward  only  to  meet 
with  so  murderous  a  fire  that  in  less  than  an  hour 
two  thousand  men  lay  dead  and  wounded  on  the 
frozen  earth.  The  rest  retired  without  disturbing 
the  enemy's  position,  bringing  back  to  the  Vice- 
roy proofs  that  it  was  impossible  to  overthrow 
that  frightful  living  wall. 

The  Russian  General  Kutusoff,  whose  entire 
army  stood  ready  to  repulse  the  four  thousand 
men  remaining  to  the  brilliant  Italian  army,  sent 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      229 

an  officer  to  Eugene,  requesting  him  to  give 
himself  up. 

"Say  to  your  general,"  replied  the  Prince, 
proudly,  "  that  it  is  better  for  him  to  prepare 
for  battle,  and  not  to  send  for  prisoners." 

It  was  near  nightfall ;  and  the  Russians,  judg- 
ing it  useless  longer  to  sacrifice  men  and  ammu- 
nition, and  thinking  that  in  the  morning  these 
intractable  Frenchmen  would  fall  an  easy  prey, 
ceased  hostilities.  In  this  critical  circumstance, 
Josephine's  son  showed  that  he  could  be  as 
adroit  a  strategist  as  he  was  an  intrepid  and 
audacious  foe.  He  sacrificed  the  remnants  of 
Broussier's  brave  division  to  the  common  good 
(the  handful  of  survivors  joined  them  the  next  day), 
and  retreated  during  the  night  in  silence  towards 
the  Dnieper,  the  unevenness  of  the  ground  serving 
as  a  shelter  to  the  troops,  while  Broussier's  fire 
kept  the  enemy's  attention  distracted. 

His  stratagem  promised  success,  notwithstand- 
ing the  moonlight,  when  suddenly  a  Russian  corps 
in  marching  order  barred  the  way.  One  of  the 
Polish  officers  on  his  staff  went  before  the  Rus- 
sian commander,  and,  with  rare  presence  of  mind, 
convinced  him  that  he  had  a  detachment  of 
Russian  soldiers  executing  a  secret  movement; 


23O       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

and  the  fleeing  corps,  thanks  to  his  trick,  escaped 
to  safety  after  a  most  hazardous  night's  march. 

Eugene's  task  did  not  diminish  in  difficulty  or 
hardship.  Marshal  Ney,  setting  out  two  days 
after  him  from  Smolensk,  according  to  Napoleon's 
mistaken  order,  being  attacked  in  his  turn  by 
fifty  thousand  Russians,  and  escaping  from  them, 
thanks  to  prodigies  of  valour  and  skill,  called 
promptly  for  help.  Eugene,  without  taking  time 
to  rest  after  his  own  fatigues,  promptly  extended 
a  helping  hand  to  the  brave  Marshal. 

The  meeting  of  the  two  heroes  under  these 
tragic  circumstances  presented  a  picture  of  sim- 
ple and  touching  grandeur.  This  is  Constant's 
version  of  the  subject:  — 

"  To  Prince  Eugene  was  given  the  honour  of  going 
to  meet  Marshal  Ney  with  a  corps  of  four  thousand  brave 
men.  Marshal  Mortier  had  disputed  this  favour  with 
him,  for  among  these  illustrious  men  there  were  never 
any  but  noble  rivalries.  The  danger  was  great.  The 
Prince's  cannon  was  a  signal  understood  by  the  Mar- 
shal, who  was  to  reply  by  firing  twice  by  platoons. 
The  two  corps  met.  The  Prince  and  the  Marshal 
no  sooner  met  than  they  fell  into  each  other's  arms; 
the  former,  it  is  said,  wept  for  joy !  " 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      23 1 


III. 

At  last  this  demoralised  army  reached  the 
shores  of  the  Beresina,  to  find  that  the  Russians 
had  cut  away  all  the  bridges.  General  Elbe's 
soldiers  repaired  the  damage ;  and  Napoleon,  ac- 
companied by  Prince  Eugene  and  Marshal  Ney, 
each  with  a  following  of  two  thousand  men  and 
their  different  staffs,  with  the  remnants  of  the  other 
regiments,  were  enabled  to  leave  the  accursed 
river  behind  them,  across  whose  turbulent  waters 
captivity  had  lain  in  wait  for  them.  This  army, 
more  than  sixty  thousand  strong  when  it  had 
crossed  the  Niemen  in  June,  had  fallen  in  five 
months  to  such  a  degree  of  misery  that  they 
congratulated  themselves  on  having  been  able 
to  cross  the  Beresina  without  falling  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  following  day,  the  28th,  they  were  again 
forced  into  a  bloody  but  victorious  battle,  al- 
though less  than  thirty  thousand  French  found 
themselves  confronted  by  seventy-five  thousand 
Russians. 

During  this  desperate  combat,  the  unarmed 
rabble  which  had  followed  the  army's  footsteps 


232       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

precipitated  themselves  with  such  frenzy  on  the 
bridge  destined  for  foot-passengers  that  a  large 
number  of  them  fell  into  the  water,  clinging  to 
the  cakes  of  floating  ice,  trying  to  escape  the 
awful  death  threatening  them,  and  adding  a  scene 
of  horror  to  that  of  the  desolation  all  around 
them. 

To  cut  off  pursuit  by  the  Russians,  they  burned 
the  bridges  behind  them  on  the  next  day,  the 
29th,  as  soon  as  the  army  had  passed  over.  It 
was  necessary  to  abandon  a  number  of  wounded 
and  of  women  and  stragglers,  as  prey  for  the 
Cossacks,  who  in  their  cruelty  did  not  hesitate 
to  plunge  their  lances  into  these  defenceless 
victims.  As  though  this  spectacle  of  itself  was 
not  pitiful  enough,  they  saw  many  of  these  un- 
fortunate creatures  throw  themselves  into  the  icy 
waters  of  the  Beresina  to  escape  the  flames. 

During  the  horrors  of  this  retreat  from  Russia, 
all  communications  were  intercepted.  Eugene 
was  unable  to  acquaint  the  Vice-Queen  with  his 
movements.  Not  until  December  1st,  was  he  for- 
tunate enough  to  start  a  courier  to  Paris  carry- 
ing the  following  letter,  —  a  letter  silent  on  the 
subject  of  so  many  bloody  struggles,  so  many 
irreparable  disasters :  — 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       233 

Illija,  December  I,  1812,  Evening. 
At  last  communications  are  all  opened,  for  which 
God  be  thanked !  It  is  too  cruel  to  be  obliged  to 
remain  so  long  without  sending  any  news  or  receiving 
any  from  one's  loved  ones.  We  are  all  very  much 
fatigued  with  our  long  marches,  and  the  cold,  which 
reddens  the  end  of  our  noses  in  a  terrible  manner. 
My  health  has  not  suffered,  fortunately,  but  I  have  my 
whole  household  on  the  sick-list.  The  Emperor  is  well, 
and  he  is  very  good  to  me.  He  was  so  extremely 
kind  as  to  write  to  the  Empress  Marie  Louise  to  send 
her  news  of  me  at  a  time  when  it  was  impossible  for 
me  to  do  it  myself. 

What  agonies  the  poor  Princess  suffered  during 

the  fortnight  of  her  husband's  enforced  silence !  — 

two  weeks  which  anxiety  transformed  into  years. 

She  received,  it  is  true,  indirect  news  of  Eugene 

by  the  Due  de  Bassano,  who  had  been  stationed 

at  Wilna  to  watch  over  the  communications  of 

the  Grand  Army;  but  was  not  such  news  more 

distressing  for  the  loving  wife's  heart  than  silence 

itself? 

Wilna,  December,  1812. 

Madame,  —  The  Viceroy  has  doubtless  not  written  to 
Your  Royal  Highness  for  several  days.  Parties  of 
Cossacks  momentarily  intercepted  all  communications. 
An  officer  who  left  the  headquarters  at  Zanishg  near 
Zembrii,  on   November  29,  has    assured   me  that  the 


234       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Viceroy  continues  in  excellent  health;  and  all  my 
letters  tell  me  that  he  is  often  with  the  Emperor,  and 
that  this  campaign  will  have  added,  if  such  a  thing 
be  possible,  to  the  attachment  His  Majesty  has  for 
him.      I  am,  with  respect,  Madame,  etc. 

The  debris  of  the  Grand  Army  arrived  at 
Smorghoni  on  December  5.  Napoleon,  who  for 
some  days  had  been  cherishing  the  secret  idea 
of  leaving  the  army,  called  his  generals  and  staff 
officers  together.  Overcome  by  the  most  pro- 
found emotion,  he  announced  his  immediate  de- 
parture for  Paris.  This  resolution  of  Napoleon's 
has  been  much  criticised,  with  more  blame  than 
approval.  The  truth  is,  that  the  conspiracy  of 
Malet,  of  which  he  had  just  received  word,  showed 
him  with  what  facility  an  audacious  general  had 
been  able  almost  to  overthrow  his  empire,  by 
spreading  the  rumour  of  his  death.  He  could 
thus  gauge  the  danger  to  his  crown  if,  his  present 
disaster  being  known,  Europe  should  rise  up 
en  masse  and  shut  him  out  of  his  domains. 

His  anxiety  was  very  great,  and  it  must  be 
acknowledged  justifiable.  Having  Poland  and 
Germany  to  cross,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  set 
out  without  delay,  and  in  the  greatest  secrecy, 
before  a  suspicion  of   the  entire  destruction  of 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      235 

the  immense  army  upon  which  his  power  alone 
rested,  had  reached  his  enemies.  Napoleon  a 
prisoner  of  the  Allies,  was  in  truth  the  Empire 
and  France  destroyed ! 

To  return  to  Paris  in  great  haste ;  to  re-establish 
himself  firmly  on  his  throne ;  to  prepare  new  re- 
sources, and  reorganise  an  army  to  hold  his  own 
against  Europe,  which  his  disastrous  defeats  in 
Russia  could  not  fail  to  call  to  arms  against 
him,  —  such  was  and  such  should  have  been  his 
sole  preoccupation. 

He  therefore  determined  to  abandon  this  army 
incapable  of  defending  his  prestige  ;  but,  before 
leaving  it  to  its  fate,  he  drew  up  his  famous 
Twenty-ninth  Bulletin,  so  celebrated  for  the  frank- 
ness with  which  he  pictures  the  condition  of  the 
army  in  Russia.  The  passages  of  the  bulletin 
which  I  am  about  to  quote  throw  light  in  a  start- 
ling manner  upon  the  terrible  trials  to  which 
Eugene  and  the  marshals,  so  much  more  than 
Napoleon  himself,  had  been  subjected,  —  trials 
which  were  about  to  be  so  painfully  prolonged  for 
the  Viceroy,  obliged  later  on  to  assume  almost  the 
entire  responsibility  of  this  ghostly  army,  so  far 
from  France,  and  in  a  hostile  country. 

Speaking   of   the  terrible  cold   and   its   awful 


236       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

effects  upon  the   cavalry,  Napoleon   traces   this 
picture :  — 

"  The  cold  weather  came  upon  us  on  the  7th,  and 
suddenly  grew  in  intensity,  until  on  the  16th  the  ther- 
mometer marked  sixteen  and  eighteen  degrees  below 
zero.  The  roads  were  sheets  of  ice  ;  the  cavalry  horses 
and  the  teams  of  the  artillery  waggons  perished  every 
night,  not  by  hundreds,  but  by  thousands,  especially  the 
French  and  German  horses.  More  than  thirty  thousand 
horses  died  in  a  few  days ;  our  cavalry  found  themselves 
on  foot,  our  artillery  and  transports  without  teams.  We 
were  obliged  to  abandon  and  destroy  a  good  part  of 
our  guns,  ammunition,  and  even  provisions." 

On  the  subject  of  the  condition  of  the  army 
itself,  the  Emperor  adds  :  — 

"  This  army,  in  such  good  condition  on  the  6th,  was 
very  different  after  the  14th,  and  almost  without  cavalry, 
artillery,  or  transports.  Without  cavalry  we  could  not 
clear  the  road  a  quarter  of  a  league  away.  Without 
artillery  we  did  not  dare  risk  an  encounter,  and  stand 
firm  in  our  places.  We  were  obliged  to  march  in  such 
a  manner  as  not  to  be  forced  into  a  battle  which  our 
lack  of  ammunition  hindered  us  from  desiring. 

"  These  difficulties,  joined  to  the  sudden  and  excessive 
cold,  rendered  our  situation  a  sorry  one.  Men  whom 
nature  had  not  sufficiently  steeled  to  put  them  above 
the  goads  of  fate  and  fortune,  were  dazed,  lost  their 
spirits,  their  good-nature,  and  could  dream  of  nothing 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      237 

but  miseries  and  catastrophes.  Those  who  had  been 
created  in  a  superior  mould  preserved  their  gaiety  and 
their  ordinary  manners,  and  could  see  a  new  glory  in  the 
difficulties  they  were  called  upon  to  overcome." 

Further  on,  he  gives  Eugene  credit  for  his 
wonderful  military  services:  — 

"  The  enemy,  seeing  on  the  roadside  the  traces  of 
this  awful  calamity  which  had  struck  the  French  army, 
endeavoured  to  profit  by  it.  They  surrounded  the 
columns  by  their  Cossacks,  who,  like  the  Arabs  in  the 
deserts,  carried  away  all  the  trains  and  carriages  which 
they  could  lay  hands  upon.  This  miserable  cavalry, 
which  makes  no  noise,  and  which  is  not  capable  of  rid- 
ing down  a  company  of  mountebanks,  was  redoubtable 
from  force  of  circumstances.  Nevertheless,  the  enemy 
was  made  to  repent  of  all  the  serious  attempts  he  had 
undertaken.  He  was  overthrown  by  the  Viceroy,  before 
whom  he  had  planted  himself,  and  lost  a  number  of 
men." 

IV. 

Napoleon  transferred  the  command  of  the 
armies  to  Murat,  who  so  soon  after  abandoned 
it,  —  the  first  defection  towards  one  to  whom  he 
owed  a  crown. 

Eugene,  with  the  clairvoyance  of  an  honest 
heart,  had  realised  Murat 's  fickle  character.  The 
latter  but  half  dissimulated  his  sentiments  towards 


238       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

the  Viceroy,  —  sentiments  which  were  anything 
but  cordial.  Eugene,  on  his  part,  very  frankly 
asked  Napoleon  to  relieve  him  of  his  command. 

The  letter  which  he  wrote  to  the  Emperor 
on  this  subject  is  a  model  of  military  abnegation. 
The  hand  which  writes  it  is  easily  seen  to  be 
that  of  a  soldier  without  fear  and  without  re- 
proach, in  whose  heart  the  sentiment  of  duty 
overtops  all  personal  considerations :  — 

December  5,  181 2. 
Sire,  —  It  is  not  for  me  to  endeavour  to  penetrate  Your 
Majesty's  will ;  but  as  it  is  probable  that  Your  Majesty- 
will  not  delay  in  returning  to  your  duty  as  Emperor 
of  the  French  nation,  and  as  your  intention  has  been  to 
leave  me  with  the  army  under  the  King  of  Naples,  I 
take  the  liberty  of  claiming  a  new  proof  of  your  kind- 
ness towards  me.  May  I  make  bold  enough  to  ask  you 
for  an  order  returning  me  to  Italy  at  a  time  most  con- 
venient to  yourself?  In  case  Your  Majesty  should  wish 
to  leave  me  with  the  army,  I  will  remain  as  long  as  it 
suits  you,  and  I  will  continue  to  serve  you  with  the 
same  zeal  and  the  same  devotion ! 

Napoleon,  knowing  how  indispensable  Eugene's 
firmness  and  his  organising  genius  were  to  the 
army,  replied  simply :  — 

My  dear  Son,  —  I  received  your  letter.  Do  your 
duty,  and  rely  on  me.  I  am  always  the  same  for  you. 
Never  doubt  my  paternal  sentiments. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.         239 

When  the  Emperor  wrote  in  these  terms,  how 
well  he  showed  his  knowledge  of  his  stepson's 
character ! 

The  latter,  notwithstanding  his  repugnance 
to  serving  under  Murat,  immediately  submitted. 
The  supreme  commander  so  willed  it ;  he  would 
remain  at  no  matter  what  cost!  This  decision 
he  announced  to  his  wife  in  the  following  terms : 

Bivouac  near  Ochmiana,  December  6,  181 2. 
Good-evening,  my  dear  Augusta.  I  am  well,  in  spite 
of  the  excessive  cold  weather  we  are  having.  I  think 
the  thermometer  stands  at  18  degrees  below  zero.  You 
no  doubt  know  by  this  time  that  the  Emperor  has  left 
the  army  to  go  to  Paris.  He  is  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  his  presence  is  necessary  there.  The  rest  of  us 
remain  at  our  posts.  I  hope,  however,  if  we  do  no 
active  work  this  winter,  I  may  return  to  Milan  for  a 
time.  I  am  anxious  to  do  so  for  more  than  one  reason ; 
but  as  to  leaving  here  at  present,  that  will  be  very  ill 
advised  of  me.  Our  duty  is  at  our  post,  whether  that 
duty  be  hard  or  easy.  Adieu,  my  very  dear  Augusta. 
I  shall  be  at  Wilna  day  after  to-morrow,  from  which 
place  I  shall  send  Allemagne  (the  Prince's  aide-de-camp) 
with  letters  and  despatches.  The  poor  devil  is  nearly 
worn  out.     I  thought  he  was  really  frozen  to-day. 

The  army,  still  harassed  by  the  Cossacks,  finally 
reached  Wilna.  But  could  one  give  the  name  of 
army  to  the  miserable  and  disbanded  troops  of 


240      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

men,  or  rather  wandering  phantoms,  whose  only 
thoughts  were  to  pile  up  a  few  logs  of  wood  and 
set  fire  to  them  in  order  to  warm  their  frozen 
limbs,  to  swallow  a  little  bread  and  whiskey  to 
sustain  their  emaciated  bodies,  and  to  crouch  in 
some  sheltered  spot  against  the  cold  until  chased 
from  it  by  the  lances  of  their  enemies  ? 

Eugene  turned  his  thoughts  from  so  much 
misery  to  dream  of  his  far-distant  happiness  at 
the  side  of  his  loved  companion,  whose  every 
heartbeat  was  for  him.  The  hope  of  a  peaceful 
future  beside  his  own  hearthstone,  of  which  he 
spoke  in  such  glowing  terms,  aided  him,  joined 
to  his  energetic  sentiments  of  duty,  to  brave  his 
misery  and  present  sufferings. 

From  Rankoni,  near  Wilna,  he  writes  on  De- 
cember 8th :  — 

"  My  health  is  good  ;  but,  like  all  the  rest  of  us,  I  am 
very  much  in  need  of  repose.  I  sent  Allemagne  to  you 
night  before  last.  The  poor  fellow  needed  a  change. 
He  could  not  stand  much  more.  I  could  give  him  no 
presents  for  you  nor  for  the  children,  for  I  have  lost 
all  our  waggons  and  all  our  horses.  I  left  at  least 
twenty  domestics  behind  us,  who  were  too  exhausted  to 
follow.  All  our  fatigues  and  sorrows  will  be  forgotten 
as  soon  as  we  are  once  more  with  our  families.  Every 
day  teaches  us  more  clearly  that  true  happiness  exists 
only  there.     Embrace  my  four  little  angels  for  me.     I 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 


24I 


do  this  daily  in  spirit  as  at  every  moment  of  my  life  I 
think  of  the  happiness  which  Heaven  bestowed  upon 
me  in  uniting  our  destinies.  Let  us  hope  to  be  soon 
reunited,  nevermore  to  part !  " 

Wilna,  towards  which  every  eye  had  been 
turned  as  a  haven  of  rest,  was  to  be  the  theatre 
of  a  new  disaster,  added  to  so  many  others  in  the 
condition  of  general  demoralisation  caused  by  this 
interminable  retreat  and  by  Napoleon's  absence. 
There  was,  so  to  speak,  no  one  in  command. 
Throwing  themselves  against  the  city  gates,  the 
soldiers,  crazed  by  suffering,  rushed  to  the  stores, 
where  they  stole  provisions,  clothing,  and  liquors. 
On  the  9th,  at  nightfall,  Platow's  Cossacks  sud- 
denly appeared.  Ney,  old  General  Lefebvre, 
Eugene,  and  some  of  the  other  generals,  fighting 
as  common  soldiers,  succeeded  in  rallying  a  few 
hundred  men  around  them,  who  repulsed  the 
Cossacks  and  assured  a  short  respite,  during 
which  the  French  evacuated  Wilna ! 

Alas!   nearly  twenty  thousand  men,  wounded 

and   sick,  or  worn  out   with   fatigue,  were   left 

behind,  the  men  preferring  to  fall  into  the  hands 

of  the  Russians,  rather  than  continue  this  deadly 

march  without  shelter  or  food.     They  retreated 

from  Wilna  to  Kowno,  where  six  months  before 
vol.  1.  —  16 


242       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Napoleon  had  first  set  foot  on  Russian  soil,  at 
the  head  of  six  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
soldiers. 

What  a  heart-rending  contrast!  The  army 
which  entered  Kowno  was  nothing  more  than 
a  band  of  thirty-five  hundred  men  marching  in 
such  disorder  that  the  Marshals,  gathered  in  a 
war  council,  were  forced  to  confess  that  the  army 
had  definitely  ceased  to  exist. 

The  following  few  lines  show  to  what  a  condition 
of  desolation  our  soldiers  had  been  reduced.  Do 
they  not  give  us  the  impression  of  a  ship  in  dis- 
tress, wrecked  amid  icebergs,  and  lost  to  the  rest 
of  the  world? 

Kowno,  December  12,  1812. 
These  past  few  days  the  thermometer  has  stood  at 
twenty-one  and  even  twenty-five  degrees.  This  has  been 
very  disastrous  for  us.  I  am  in  a  condition  of  indescrib- 
able anger  against  Allemagne,  who  started  out  four  days 
ago.  I  found  him  yesterday  on  the  highways,  having  lost 
his  horses,  his  servants,  and  his  despatches.  That  means 
my  correspondence  for  Milan  for  the  past  month. 

That  same  day  Eugene  made  the  attempt  to 
send  his  news  by  the  way  of  Paris.  The  pictures 
he  traces  of  the  ravages  wrought  by  the  fatigue 
undergone,  and  the  cold  suffered  in  his  own  imme- 
diate military  household,  are  heart-rending. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       243 

Kowno,  December  12,  1812. 
My  dearest  Augusta,  —  I  can  easily  understand 
all  that  you  are  suffering.  It  is  to  be  hoped,  how- 
ever, that  Heaven  will  grow  weary  of  keeping  us  much 
longer  separated,  and  that  we  can  be  reunited.  The 
cold  is  terrible  to-day,  and  every  day  we  lose  some  of 
our  friends  and  companions.  Lacroix  was  obliged  to 
remain  at  Wilna ;  his  condition  was  such  we  could  not 
transport  him.  Bataille  and  Petrus  are  in  the  hospital, 
very  ill.  Leroy  and  Brochier  are  suffering  intensely. 
If  this  lasts  much  longer,  I  shall  certainly  be  left  en- 
tirely alone  without  any  staff. 

Eugene  concentrated  all  his  efforts  in  endeav- 
ouring to  rally  his  organised  soldiers,  so  com- 
pletely crushed  by  this  frightful  temperature,  and 
planning  an  attack  on  the  Cossacks,  who  pursued 
them  relentlessly. 

It  was  a  herculean  task  to  try  to  re-establish  a 
little  order  in  the  broken  ranks  of  these  miser- 
able creatures,  a  great  number  of  whom  were 
unarmed  or  invalids. 

At  last  they  reached  the  borders  of  Poland, 
but  at  the  price  of  nameless  fatigues  and  suffer- 
ings, the  sight  of  which  moved  Eugene  deeply. 

Obliged  to  leave  his  Mameluke  Petrus  behind 
him,  among  many  others,  he  sadly  expatiated  on 
this  brave  fellow's  sad  fate.     Though  witnessing 


244       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

so  many  scenes  of  carnage  and  death,  the  sen- 
sibilities of  this  noble  heart  were  so  little  blunted 
that  the  abandonment  of  a  poor  sick  attendant 
touched  him  deeply :  — 

Wirballen,  December  15,  1812. 
We  are  on  the  frontiers  of  Poland  and  Russia.  It 
seems  it  will  be  in  this  latter  country,  and  near  the  Vis- 
tula, that  we  shall  halt  and  take  up  our  winter-quarters, 
and,  indeed,  there  is  great  necessity  for  us  to  get  some 
rest.  The  enemy  pursued  us  with  a  large  number  of  men 
as  far  as  Wilna.  From  Wilna  to  Kowno,  we  were  only 
slightly  molested  by  a  few  cavalry  and  artillery.  I  hope 
they  themselves  will  be  too  much  fatigued  to  follow  us 
farther,  and  will  not  attempt  to  cross  the  Niemen  after 
us.  I  was  obliged  to  leave  poor  Petrus  (the  Mameluke) 
behind  at  Kowno.  He  was  beyond  transportation.  I 
very  much  fear  I  shall  lose  him.  I  recommended  him 
to  the  people  who  lodged  me,  and  left  him  plenty  of 
money.     I  am  feeling  well  amid  all  our  fatigues.  .  .  . 

V. 

Poland  crossed,  and  Germany  at  last  reached ! 
From  his  first  stopping-place  in  Prussia,  the  Vice- 
roy wrote  to  the  Princess  to  reassure  her  on  his 
account,  and  to  make  her  the  sharer  of  his  hope 
of  soon  enjoying  near  her  his  well-earned  repose. 
He  announces  to  her  that  she  must  no  longer 
tremble  at  the  recital  of  his  combats,  his  marches, 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      245 

and  his  fatigues,  and  ends  with  a  burst  of  French 
humour  which  finds  something  to  laugh  about 
even  in  the  midst  of  the  greatest  trouble:  — 

Gumbinnem,  December  17,  1812. 

At  last  we  are  in  Prussia,  my  very  dear  Augusta,  and 
I  will  despatch  Fortis  with  my  letters.  He  will  make 
good  time.  We  have  been  in  retreat  since  leaving 
Wilna,  and  the  enemy  has  only  followed  us  with  his 
cavalry  and  artillery.  I  do  not  think  any  length  of 
time  will  pass  without  some  important  military  move 
being  made.  It  is  probable  that  the  Emperor  will 
order  me  back  to  Italy,  and  that  is  all  I  desire  in  this 
world.  Fortis  will  tell  you  of  all  who  are  in  good 
health  here,  and  of  those  who  are  ill;  and  there  are 
many  of  the  latter.  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  so 
far  to  find  myself  among  the  former.  It  will  please  you 
to  know  this,  in  spite  of  all  the  battles  we  have  fought, 
all  the  fatigues  we  have  undergone.     Adieu. 

P.  S.  To  amuse  your  ladies-in-waiting,  tell  them 
that  very  probably  half  their  friends  will  return  without 
noses  or  ears.  Everything  freezes  here.  We  have 
already  had  it  at  24  below. 

Writing  the  same  day  to  his  private  secretary, 
Baron  Darnay,  towards  whom  he  had  not  the 
same  motives  for  hiding  the  gloomy  truth,  in  a 
few  lines  he  gives  a  simple  and  truthful  picture 
of  the  greatest  military  disaster  of  modern  times. 
The  cry  which  escapes  him  at  the  end   of  his 


246       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

letter  is  worthy  of  this  generous,  heroic,  tender 
soul,  so  far  above  human  ambitions :  — 

"  I  am  sending  Fortis  to  Milan.  Question  him  well, 
my  dear  Darnay ;  and  if  he  is  frank  in  his  replies,  you 
will  know  all  we  have  suffered  during  the  past  few 
months.  The  climate  has  destroyed  us.  Of  that  grand 
and  beautiful  army  a  mere  handful  of  men  remain.  Our 
losses  are  immense.  The  sights  we  have  under  our  eyes 
every  day  are  heart-rending.  Our  friends  and  our  com- 
rades are  dying  along  the  roadside  from  misery,  fatigue, 
and  cold.  The  Commissary  Joubert  died  three  days  ago. 
The  Italians  are  dropping  down  like  flies.  The  Royal 
Guard  numbers  only  two  hundred  men.  Happy  will  be 
those  who  once  more  see  their  firesides !  This  is  my 
only  aim  in  life  now!  I  desire  no  more  glory;  it  is 
obtained  at  too  great  a  cost.     Adieu !     Yours  for  ever." 

Marching  towards  Marienwerder  to  reach  his 
winter-quarters,  the  Viceroy  visited  the  battle- 
fields of  Eylau  and  Friedland,  —  those  two  great 
victories  of  the  campaign  of  1807,  which  he  had 
so  deeply  regretted  not  participating  in. 

From  Eylau,  December  22,  he  sent  the  Prin- 
cess a  modest  and  late  New  Year's  gift,  —  a  little 
spoon  "  which  had  been  found  at  the  bottom  of  a 
box  he  had  thought  to  be  lost." 

"  We  are  going,"  he  writes  to  his  wife,  "  to  commence 
a  New  Year.    I  ardently  hope  that  it  will  be  happier  than 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      247 

this  one ;  that  is  to  say,  that  we  may  be  reunited,  never 
to  be  separated  again." 

He  adds  this  doleful  refrain  :  — 

"  Here  we  have  cold  and  snow ;  the  inhabitants  try  to 
console  us  for  our  sufferings  by  telling  us  that  it  is  the 
most  rigorous  winter  they  have  had  in  thirty  years.  We 
made  a  good  choice,  did  we  not?" 

Then  he  winds  up  with  this  joke,  a  little  mili- 
tary in  its  character,  but  to  which  the  surrounding 
circumstances  give  a  singular  flavour  of  Gallic 
gallantry :  — 

"  These  past  few  days  eight  officers  of  my  staff  have 
had  their  feet  and  noses  frozen.  You  cannot  say 
much  in  favour  of  men  who  have  come  out  of  an  affair 
like  this  with  one  foot  and  no  nose.  The  longest  were 
the  first  to  fall." 

At  Marienwerder,  Eugene  was  enabled  to  enjoy 
a  little  repose,  as  the  Russians,  exhausted  them- 
selves, did  not  dare  continue  their  pursuit  on 
German  soil.  A  number  of  stragglers  and  those 
left  behind  joined  the  army  by  degrees,  and  soon 
brought  the  numbers  up  to  two  thousand,  and  this 
was  the  corps  that  was  noted  for  being  in  such 
fine  condition  when  they  first  crossed  the  Niemen. 
In  the  midst  of  this  calm,  the  Prince  was  seized 


B 


248       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

with  a  sentiment  of  regret  evoked  by  the  thoughts 
of  the  sweetness  of  his  family  life,  which  finally 
became  the  constant  object  of  his  dreams. 

Marienwerder,  December  28,  181 2. 
I  reached  here  the  evening  of  the  day  before  yester- 
day, my  dear  Augusta ;  and  it  is  now  my  pleasant  duty 
to  concern  myself  as  to  your  health.  At  last  we  have 
reached  the  end  of  our  journey.  It  seems  we  are  to 
take  up  our  winter-quarters  here.  It  will  be  very  weari- 
some, I  am  afraid ;  but  we  must  have  courage,  and,  above 
all,  patience.  I  received  your  dear  letter  and  the  warm 
clothing.  I  distributed  them  as  you  desired,  among  my 
officers.  I  was  very  happy  on  learning  that  our  little 
family  were  in  good  health,  for  I  think  of  them  con- 
stantly these  days.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  Em- 
peror will  not  leave  me  here  in  inactivity  all  winter,  with 
so  few  men.  Would  you  believe  it,  my  dear,  that  out  of 
my  Grand  Army  corps,  there  only  remain  to  me  two 
thousand  men,  one-half  of  whom  are  wounded.  This  is 
for  you  alone.  Adieu,  my  very  dear  Augusta.  Let  us 
hope  that  one  day  we  will  forget  all  our  troubles  in 
each  other's  arms. 

Eugene  remained  a  fortnight  at  Marienwerder. 
He  employed  the  time  which  he  could  spare  from 
the  cares  of  his  little  band  in  attending  to  the 
affairs  of  Italy,  as  he  had  indeed  done  to  the  best 
of  his  ability  during  this  unfortunate  campaign. 
He  was  an  indefatigable  worker ;  and  he  was  able 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       249 

by  the  3d  of  January,  18 13,  to  send  the  Emperor 
a  long  and  detailed  account  of  the  actual  condi- 
tion of  his  kingdom. 

But  it  was  not  the  moment  to  expatiate  merely 
on  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom.  The  situation 
was  more  dangerous  than  ever.  Desertions  were 
numerous.  The  Prussians  declared  themselves 
on  the  side  of  the  enemy,  and  threatened  the 
debris  of  the  Grand  Army.  Eugene's  situation, 
surrounded  by  open  and  secret  enemies,  was  very 
critical.  In  his  retreat  from  Grandenz,  the  Prus- 
sian garrison  had  evinced  signs  of  a  hostility  they 
were  at  no  pains  to  conceal ;  but  the  heroic  Vice- 
roy had  great  faith  in  his  star.  No  matter  how 
great  was  the  peril  in  which  he  found  himself, 
nothing  could  daunt  his  confidence  in  the  future. 
At  the  sound  of  the  battle,  the  soldier  in  him 
awoke,  proud,  ironical,  and  calm  ;  and  he  wrote  as 
though  he  attached  little  importance  to  this 
recommencement  of  hostilities. 

Schwetz,  January  13,  1813. 

Just  two  words,  my  well-beloved  Augusta.  I  re- 
ceived Provari,  and  he  handed  me  your  welcome  letter 
of  the  1st  of  this  year.  You  are  right  to  trust  in  Provi- 
dence, and  to  believe  that  God  watches  over  me.  I  was 
born  lucky,  and  I  never  appreciated  my  happiness  since 


250      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

uniting  my  destiny  to  yours,  more  than  I  do  at  this 
present  time. 

We  left  our  quarters  at  Marienwerder  yesterday.  I 
have  received  orders  from  the  King  to  repair  to  Posen. 
We  had  a  skirmish  with  the  Cossacks  yesterday.  In 
the  evening,  as  we  were  getting  into  position  before 
Nenenberg,  they  had  the  impertinence  to  try  to  worry 
us  again ;  but  I  attacked  them  at  once,  and  a  single  bat- 
talion was  all  that  was  needed  to  send  them  back  to  the 
Vistula.  It  was  very  comical  to  see  five  hundred  of  those 
strapping  fellows  pursued  over  the  ice  by  our  small  sol- 
diers. We  killed  several  and  captured  a  dozen  horses. 
To-day  we  have  been  very  quiet.  I  am  well,  except  for 
a  slight  inflammation,  which  has  almost  passed  away. 

At  that  moment  the  Prince  was  on  the  verge  of 
one  of  the  most  critical  epochs  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Departure  of  King  Murat  —  Eugene  as  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  Grand  Army.  —  Difficulties  of  the  Situation.  —  The 
Retreat  on  the  Oder.  —  Discouragement  of  the  Army.  — 
Efforts  of  the  Prince  to  Reorganise  it.  —  The  Retreat  on  the 
Elbe.  —  Return  of  the  Emperor.  —  Eugene  at  Ltitzen.  — 
Departure  for  Italy.  * 

I. 

I  HAVE  now  reached  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able events  of  the  Prince's  career,  —  an  epoch 
in  which  he  fully  merited  Napoleon  and  France's 
recognition.  Charged  with  an  extremely  difficult 
mission,  and  one  bringing  no  glory  to  him,  he  ac- 
complished it  in  such  a  manner  as  to  force  men  to 
honour  him,  even  personal  enemies  such  as  Mar- 
shal Marmont.  It  was  Eugene  who,  in  a  country 
openly  unfriendly,  in  the  midst  of  an  over-excited 
and  hostile  population,  had  proudly  led  the  debris 
of  the  Grand  Army  across  Germany. 

As  we  have  seen,  Napoleon,  fearing  for  the 
stability  of  the  dynasty  created  by  him,  had,  on 
setting  out  so  suddenly  for  Paris,  transmitted  the 


252       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

supreme  command  to  his  brother-in-law,  Murat, 
King  of  Naples. 

But  Murat  was  too  fond  of  his  crown,  too  much 
occupied  by  his  personal  interests  in  Italy,  to 
devote  himself  long  to  the  ungrateful  task  of  rally- 
ing the  disbanded  soldiers,  rearming  and  reor- 
ganising them.  On  January  1 7th,  Murat  suddenly 
announced  to  Eugene  his  intention  of  setting  out 
for  Naples ;  and  he  transferred  the  command  of 
the  army  to  him,  —  a  command  which  Eugene 
justly  considered  he  had  no  right  to  accept  from 
any  hand  but  Napoleon's. 

But  rather  than  leave  the  army  without  a  head, 
the  Prince  provisionally  accepted  this  command, 
which  Murat  abandoned. 

Posen,  January  17,  18 13. 
My  DEAR  AUGUSTA, — I  have  most  unlooked-for 
news  to  announce  to  you.  After  my  departure  for 
Marienwerder,  King  Murat  wrote  me  to  join  him  at  Posen. 
I  had  hardly  reached  here  before  he  informed  me  he 
intended  to  resign  his  command  of  the  army,  and  set 
out  without  waiting  for  the  Emperor's  decision.  He  is 
ill,  and  no  longer  desires  the  responsibility.  He  wished 
to  transfer  the  command  to  me,  but  I  was  not  willing  to 
receive  it  from  him ;  but  as  he  insisted  upon  going,  I 
was  obliged  to  accept  the  command  provisionally.  It 
is  a  delicate  position  for  me ;  but  I  offer  it  as  a  last 
proof  of  my  devotion  to  the  Emperor.    Everything  here 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      253 

is  in  great  confusion ;  and  I  assure  you,  my  good  Augusta, 
that  I  have  a  terrible  task  before  me.  I  dare  not  hope 
to  come  out  covered  with  glory;  but  at  least  I  shall  be 
said  to  have  had  the  courage  to  accept  it,  and  I  hope  to 
get  credit  for  not  having  abandoned  it. 

Adieu,  my  dear  Augusta ;  what  troubles  me  most  is 
that  I  cannot  write  to  you  oftener,  as  I  lack  time. 

To  Napoleon  on  the  same  day  he  wrote :  — 

Sire,  —  I  have  the  honour  to  announce  to  Your 
Majesty  that  the  King  really  set  out  this  morning  at 
three  o'clock.  Yesterday  evening  the  Prince  de  Neu- 
chatel  [Berthier]  and  myself  exhausted  all  possible  rea- 
sons for  persuading  him  to  remain.  There  being  no 
Marshal  of  the  Empire  here,  and  I  being  the  only  lieu- 
tenant in  Your  Majesty's  service  present,  I  have  provi- 
sionally assumed  command  until  Your  Majesty  can  send 
some  general-in-chief  to  relieve  me.  I  am  going  to  try 
and  gather  together  a  few  thousand  men  to  at  least 
open  communication  by  way  of  the  Oder  with  Warsaw. 
I  deeply  regret  not  having  twenty  thousand  men  at  my 
disposal ;  for  I  am  convinced  that  by  reinforcing  our 
right  and  surrounding  Warsaw,  the  enemy  will  abandon 
his  idea  of  attempting  any  serious  move  in  that  direc- 
tion in  the  next  campaign.  At  the  present  moment  I 
unfortunately  have  not  a  single  well-organised  division. 

Napoleon,  who  understood  men,  and  who  had 
just  had  in  his  Russian  experience  ample  occa- 
sion to  appreciate  Eugene,  replied  at  once :  — 


254      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

Fontainebleau,  January  22,  1813. 

My  Son,  —  Take  the  command  of  the  Grand  Army. 
I  regret  not  leaving  it  with  you  on  my  departure.  I 
flatter  myself  you  would  have  retreated  more  quietly, 
and  I  should  not  have  experienced  such  immense  losses. 
The  harm  done  is  past  remedy. 

You  will  write  me  in  detail  every  day. 

The  next  day  Napoleon  reiterates  his  satisfac- 
tion that  the  command  is  in  Eugene's  hands. 
The  greatest  captain  of  modern  times  thus  shows 
in  what  high  esteem  he  holds  the  military  capa- 
bilities of  the  young  Viceroy,  to  whom  he  has  con- 
fided the  heavy  responsibilities  of  a  Commander- 
in-Chief,  in  exceptionally  difficult  circumstances. 

Fontainebleau,  January  23,  18 13. 
My  Son,  —  I  received  your  letter  of  the  16th.  I 
have  already  written  to  you  that  I  am  pleased  to  know 
the  command  of  the  army  is  in  your  hands.  I  find  the 
King's  conduct  very  extraordinary.  He  is  a  brave  man 
on  the  battle-field,  but  he  lacks  tact  and  moral  courage. 

King  Louis  of  Holland  expresses  himself  thus 
on  this  subject.  He  was  a  most  impartial  judge, 
from  the  fact  that  his  quarrel  with  his  brother, 
since  the  Emperor  had  taken  his  crown  from  him, 
had  kept  him  aloof  from  the  intrigues  of  the 
Court  and  the  jealousies  of  the  staff  officers. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      255 

"  The  Emperor  left  the  army  and  gave  the  command 
to  the  King  of  Naples,  who  a  short  time  afterwards 
resigned  it  into  the  hands  of  the  Viceroy  of  Italy,  so 
that  he  could  return  to  Naples.  By  this  act  he  par- 
tially sacrificed  to  his  own  whims  the  interest  of  his 
own  kingdom,  the  general  interests  of  the  allies  of 
France,  and,  above  all,  the  glory  and  preservation  of 
the  precious  debris  of  this  illustrious  army.  The  rem- 
nants of  the  Grand  Army  have  performed  wonderful 
deeds  of  valour  under  the  order  of  the  Viceroy,  who 
can  flatter  himself  upon  having  had  the  grandest  and 
most  difficult  commission  to  fulfil,  and  upon  having 
performed  his  duty  with  as  much  prudence  and  glory 
as  success." 

II. 

Napoleon's  confidence  was  justified,  as  will  be 
seen  from  the  following  letter.  I  do  not  really 
know  if,  in  all  the  Prince's  correspondence,  there 
is  a  more  beautiful  letter  than  the  one  I  am 
about  to  have  the  pleasure  of  transcribing  for  the 
reader.  It  is  charming  in  its  delicacy,  devotion, 
and  unutterable  tenderness. 

Posen,  January  18,  18 13. 
My  dear  and  GOOD  Augusta, —  I  am  up  to  my  neck 
in  work,  and  I  can  assure  you  that  I  must  work.     I  re- 
ceived your  letter  of  January  8th,  at  reveille  this  morn- 
ing.  I  am  not  angry  at  you  for  the  request  you  made  to 


256       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

the  Emperor;  but  it  is  not  the  moment  to  speak  of  my 
return,  or  our  happiness  in  seeing  each  other  again. 
You  must  understand  how  much  His  Majesty  is  afflicted 
in  his  heart  by  all  that  has  passed ;  and  so  many  are 
abandoning  him  now  that  it  is  just  in  such  painful  and 
difficult  situations  that  one  should  show  the  most  devo- 
tion, courage,  and  resignation.  You,  who  have  so  much 
of  all  three,  must  not  lose  any  now.  Yet  one  more 
effort,  and  I  predict  we  shall  at  last  enjoy  the  happiness 
of  being  reunited  and  tranquil.  Adieu,  my  very  dear 
Augusta.  I  could  not  for  a  moment  permit  myself  to 
think  of  such  a  thing  as  a  journey  here  for  you.  Be- 
sides, we  are  not  settled;  and  then  the  season,  and,  still 
again,  the  children.  Patience  ;  let  us  love  each  other 
more,  if  such  a  thing  is  in  our  power. 

The  Princess,  whose  lofty  soul  was  in  such 
perfect  communion  of  sentiments  with  those  of 
her  husband,  had  implored  the  Emperor  to  give 
her  back  her  husband,  whose  continued  absence 
caused  her  such  anxiety ;  but  she  had  made  this 
request  before  she  knew  the  King  of  Naples  had 
abandoned  the  command  of  the  army. 

As  soon  as  she  learned  of  Murat's  departure, 
she  restrained  her  hopes  in  face  of  the  perilous 
greatness  of  the  duty  to  be  accomplished. 

Eugene  himself,  on  the  20th  of  January,  18 13, 
writes  openly  of  the  difficulties  of  the  heavy  task 
which  he   had  assumed  from  pure  devotion   to 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       257 

the  Emperor.  He  could  not  refrain  from  a 
slight  touch  of  irony  on  the  subject  of  the  pre- 
text put  forward  by  Murat  of  "  sickness  "  as  an 
excuse  for  the  strange  abandonment  of  his  com- 
mand. 

"  I  found  everything  here  in  the  greatest  disorder, 
every  one  thinking  of  nothing  but  saving  himself.  No 
one  seems  to  know  where  the  troops  are,  even.  I  think 
I  shall  have  accomplished  a  great  deal  if  I  succeed  in 
quieting  the  minds  of,  and  in  putting  a  little  order  into, 
the  regiments.  I  hope  it  will  not  be  said  that  it  is 
the  desire  of  glory  which  made  me  assume  the  com- 
mand of  the  army ;  for  it  is  from  pure  devotion  to  the 
Emperor,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  accept  a  more 
difficult  task.  I  have  not  heard  from  His  Majesty  the 
Emperor  yet.  Let  me  know  if  it  is  true  that  the  King 
passed  you  by  on  his  road  to  Naples,  for  he  told  us 
he  would  rest  some  time  with  the  King  of  Westphalia 
[Jerome]  ;  and  for  a  sick  man  it  is  doing  pretty  well 
to  go  in  one  journey  straight  to  Naples.  It  must  be 
confessed  that  the  Emperor  is  but  shabbily  treated  by 
his  own  family.  I  hope  this  last  act  will  open  his 
eyes.  ..." 

One  of  the  most  amiable  phases  of  Eugene's 
character  was  his  solicitude  towards  the  humblest 
of  those  who  approached  him.  The  high  and 
charitable  simplicity  of  his  heart  did  not  admit, 

VOL.   I.  —  17 


258      THE  ROMANCE  OF    PRINCE  EUGENE. 

in  the  expression  of  his  sentiments,  the  egotisti- 
cal, worldly  conventions  of  caste. 

I  cited  one  example  in  the  forced  abandonment 
of  Petrus,  the  Mameluke.  I  am  pleased  to  be  able 
to  recall  another  incident  in  the  postscript  of  the 
following  letter :  — 

"  I  have  a  great  deal  of  work,  but  I  do  it  with  pleas- 
ure, especially  if  by  doing  so  I  can  make  the  Emperor 
know  his  true  friends.  We  have  made  no  movements 
of  any  kind  yet;  but  I  dare  not  flatter  myself  too  much, 
and  I  am  afraid  the  enemy  will  oblige  us  to  retreat 
behind  the  Oder,  in  which  case  this  poor  Poland  will 
be  occupied  by  the  Russians. 

"  P.  S.  Michel's  son  died  day  before  yesterday.  It 
has  made  me  very  sad,  for  he  was  a  good  valet-de-piedy 

Napoleon's  marks  of  confidence  had  greatly 
encouraged  Eugene  in  the  accomplishment  of  his 
painful  duties.  The  detailed  instructions  from 
the  Emperor  relative  to  the  reorganisation  and 
revictualling  of  the  army,  proved  a  precious  help 
to  him. 

Even  at  this  period  the  vacillation  of  the  Prince 
von  Schwarzenberg  inspired  Eugene's  prudent 
sagacity  with  doubts  of  the  fidelity  of  the  Aus- 
trians.  At  the  same  time  he  conceived  the  same 
suspicions  with  regard  to  the  Saxons,  who  amply 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      259 

justified  them  in  the  bloody  battle  of  Leipzig. 
However,  in  the  midst  of  these  heavy  cares,  his 
greatest  uneasiness  perhaps  came  to  him  from 
Italy.  The  Princess's  failing  health  caused  him 
inexpressible  anxiety. 

Posen,  January  25,  181 3. 

.  .  .  Your  letter  of  the  15th  proves  to  me  that  your 
health  is  not  as  good  as  you  say  it  is,  and  I  am  worried. 
Be  careful  of  yourself,  my  good  Augusta.  Make  your- 
self easy  as  to  my  position,  and  hope  that  our  lucky 
star  will  soon  reunite  us.  I  am  working  a  great  deal ; 
but  it  is  a  pleasure  to  me,  as  I  can  already  see  the 
good  results  of  my  work.  Order  has  been  re-established, 
and  the  men  who  ran  the  fastest  are  commencing  to 
blush  at  their  conduct,  and  I  can  predict  a  great  change 
soon.  .  .  . 

However,  the  situation  still  remained  grave,  on 
account  of  the  general  discouragement.  Eugene 
was  not  sanguine. 

"  Sire,"  he  writes  to  Napoleon  from  Posen,  February 
2,  1813,  "I  received  your  orders  relative  to  the 
command  of  the  Due  d'Elchingen  [Ney].  I  have 
already  had  the  honour  of  notifying  you  that  the  Mar- 
shal had  left  Elbing  for  Magdeburg,  from  which  place 
he  had  demanded  permission  to  return  to  France.  This 
permission  being  granted  him,  he  must  by  this  time  be 
in  Paris.  Marshal  Ney  quitted  the  army,  fatigued,  dis- 
contented with  King  Murat,  and  loudly  declaring  that  it 


260      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

was  oftener  than  necessary  his  turn  to  lead  the  advance 
or  rear  guard.  I  cannot  explain  to  Your  Majesty  to 
what  an  extent  the  general  discouragement  in  the  army 
has  spread  since  we  left  Wilna.  Very  few  generals  re- 
main at  their  posts.  Would  Your  Majesty  believe,  for 
instance,  that  General  X.,  .  .  .  who  is  a  brave  soldier, 
did  not  think  himself  safe  at  Custrin,  and  has  retired  to 
Berlin?  He  has  not  come  to  see  me  yet,  notwithstand- 
ing the  three  orders  I  have  sent  him  to  do  so.  I  have 
written  to  him  for  the  last  time,  and  if  he  does  not 
report  in  forty-eight  hours,  I  shall  court-martial  him. 
I  hope  not  to  be  obliged  to  resort  to  these  extreme 
measures ;  but  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  do  this,  as  I  must 
make  a  severe  example  of  some  one  for  the  purpose 
of  re-establishing  a  little  order." 

The  most  delicate  part  of  his  heavy  task  was 
to  elevate  the  morale  of  the  troops,  who  had 
deteriorated  so  sadly  amid  all  the  hardships  en- 
dured. He  succeeded  in  this,  thanks  to  his 
energetic  and  constant  efforts.  With  the  rein- 
forcements he  gradually  gathered  together,  he 
performed  the  miracle  of  turning  over  to  the 
Emperor,  when  the  latter  resumed  command  of 
the  forces  in  the  spring,  a  good  army,  solid, 
and  animated  with  true  military  ardour.  But  for 
the  present  he  was  obliged  to  retreat,  always  to 
retreat,  —  he,  the  enthusiastic  young  chief,  accus- 
tomed  to  pursue  the  enemy  and  conquer  him. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       26 1 

He  foresaw  the  coming  impossibility  of  holding 
Poland,  and  the  painful  obligation  of  seeking  a 
refuge  beyond  the  Oder,  —  a  harsh  necessity 
which  deeply  wounded  his  soldier's  vanity. 

Posen,  February  2,  1813. 

...  I  am  obliged  to  be  very  severe  if  I  wish  to  suc- 
ceed in  establishing  any  kind  of  discipline.  You  cannot 
imagine  how  disorganised  the  whole  army  is.  The 
Russians,  who  had  apparently  ceased  hostilities,  have 
commenced  to  move  on  us ;  and  if  this  movement  con- 
tinues, I  shall  be  forced  to  retreat  beyond  the  Oder, 
which  will  annoy  me  very  much,  for  I  have  not  made  a 
retrograde  step  for  the  last  eighteen  days.  Well,  in  a 
very  few  days  I  shall  know  just  where  I  stand.  I  hope 
soon  to  be  either  in  Paris  or  Munich ;  but  I  cannot  know 
anything  positive  in  this  respect,  and  it  will  be  at  least  a 
month  before  there  is  any  degree  of  certainty  as  to  my 
future  movements.  I  will  make  no  more  plans ;  they 
all  turn  out  badly.  I  only  want  to  love  you  all  my 
life,  for  in  that  consists  my  whole  happiness. 

The  principal  division  of  the  Russian  army,  for 
a  while  stationary  on  the  borders  of  Poland,  had 
been  steadily  advancing  for  several  days,  the 
second  corps  following  in  its  footsteps,  whilst 
Prince  von  Schwarzenberg  with  his  Austrians 
retreated  in  a  manner  which  was  anything  but 
reassuring   to   Eugene,  and   rendered   his   posi- 


*' 


p 


262       77^  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

tion  still  more  critical.  But  well  he  seemed  to 
forget  the  agonies  of  his  command  when,  in 
terms  breathing  so  much  noble  simplicity,  he  said 
to  his  wife :  — 

Posen,  February  4,  1813. 

The  courier  arrived  this  morning  with  your  letters, 
and  they  afforded  me  great  pleasure.  Rest  easy  on  my 
account.  I  am  gladly  recompensed  for  all  my  troubles 
by  your  tenderness,  by  my  family  happiness,  and  the 
good  opinion  which  you  have  of  me. 

Eugene,  with  the  meagre  resources  at  his  dis- 
posal, was  enabled  to  hold  his  own  at  Posen  for  a 
month  ;  but  that  was  the  maximum  effort  of  resist- 
ance which  was  permitted  him.  At  last  he  was 
obliged  to  abandon  this  last  rallying-point,  and 
retreat. 

Each  backward  step,  it  is  true,  brought  him  a 
little  nearer  to  that  beautiful  Italy,  where  such 
tender  ties  bound  him;  but  the  proud  soldier 
silenced  the  loving  husband,  and  the  only  feeling 
he  experienced  was  one  of  chagrin  at  being 
obliged  to  retreat  before  the  enemy. 

Posen,  February  10,  1813. 

It  is  probable  that  I  shall  leave  this  city  to-morrow  or 

the  day  after.     The  Russians  are  advancing  on  us  in 

great  numbers,  and  all  we  can  do  is  to  retreat  beyond 

the  Oder.     I  hope,  however,  that  this  will  be  our  last 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      263 

halt.  I  know  nothing  definite  as  yet  in  our  grand 
schemes  of  being  together  in  the  spring;  only  one  thing 
is  certain,  and  that  is  the  ardent  longing  I  constantly 
experience  for  their  realisation. 

The  decimated  troops  who  had  recrossed  the 
Niemen  under  Eugene's  command  were,  without 
doubt,  already  in  a  measure  reorganised  and  aug- 
mented in  numbers ;  but  how  miserable  were  they 
still,  in  comparison  with  the  immense  numbers  of 
Russians  and  their  allies,  pressing  forward  against 
them !  And  yet  the  Prince,  with  the  miserable 
remnants  of  this  once  glorious  army  under  his 
hand,  held  his  head  up  proudly  in  face  of  his 
enemies. 

February  13,  181 3. 

As  I  predicted,  I  was  obliged  to  leave  Posen  to  ap- 
proach nearer  to  my  reinforcements.  I  have  twenty 
thousand  men  and  one  thousand  horses  two  days'  march 
behind  me,  and  with  these  I  fear  nothing.  I  only  left 
Posen  at  the  last  moment,  and  not  until  several  thou- 
sand Cossacks  had  cut  off  my  communications.  Poor 
little  Janois  (a  domestic  of  Eugene's)  was  taken  prisoner 
yesterday  evening  by  them.  I  had  sent  him  ahead  to 
prepare  my  lodgings. 

The  minutely  detailed  reports  which  the  Vice- 
roy sent  constantly  to  the  Emperor,  on  the  mili- 
tary situation,  showed  not  only  his  indefatigable 


264       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

energy,  but  also  the  perfect  confidence  which 
Napoleon  reposed  in  the  young  general  only 
thirty-two  years  old,  whom  he  had  placed  in  au- 
thority over  old  and  illustrious  marshals  like 
Davout,  Prince  d'Eckmuhl,  Victor,  the  Due  de 
Bellum,  Augereau,  and  the  Due  de  Castiglione. 


III. 

The  defence  and  provisioning  of  the  fortresses 
of  Custrin,  Glogau,  and  Spandau,  which  the 
French  held  in  Germany,  and  which  Napoleon 
desired  to  retain,  added  to  the  difficulties  and 
responsibilities  of  the  Viceroy,  who  was  obliged 
to  attend  to  them,  and  at  the  same  time  to  main- 
tain a  calm  and  well-managed  retreat  before  an 
enemy  of  crushing  superiority. 

Meseritz,  February  17,  18 13. 

I  have  rested  here  for  the  past  two  days,  my  dear 
Augusta,  notwithstanding  the  reports  which  have  been 
brought  to  me  that  the  enemy  would  reach  the  Oder 
before  me ;  and  I  was  wise  in  not  believing  them,  for  I 
have  positive  news  this  morning  that  all  this  gossip  was 
false.  The  enemy  is  still  advancing  but  slowly,  and  we 
are  retiring  in  the  same  manner.  I  hope  he  will  be  pru- 
dent enough  not  to  attack  us  this  side  of  the  Oder. 
If,  by  chance,  Prussia  fail  us,  I  think  we  shall  be  obliged 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       265 

to  gain  the  shores  of  the  Elbe  as  promptly  as  possible. 
You  can  see  by  this  that  my  position  is  not  a  brilliant 
one.  I  do  not  dissimulate  all  that  is  painful  and  diffi- 
cult. You  may  be  sure  that  I  shall  not  lose  courage, 
and  that  I  shall  always  do  my  duty. 

He  had  only  two  good  reasons  to  dread  a  de- 
fection on  the  part  of  Prussia,  whose  king  more 
and  more  readily  lent  his  ear  to  the  warlike  coun- 
sels which  were  constantly  offered  him.  I  select 
the  following  passage  from  a  voluminous  report, 
dated  February  18:  — 

11  The  ill  feeling  which  dominates  Prussia  at  this  mo- 
ment is  only  too  apparent.  The  authorities  refuse  to 
distribute  provisions  to  our  troops.  The  peasants  leave 
their  houses  as  our  columns  approach,  so  as  not  to  be 
obliged  to  feed  our  soldiers.  And  when  the  enemy 
appears,  the  burgomasters  point  out  the  movements  of 
our  troops,  and  the  gendarmes  go  so  far  as  to  guard  our 
prisoners  taken  by  the  Cossacks." 

The  enemy  marched  forward  even  to.  the  walls 
of  Berlin,  and  Eugene  was  obliged  to  hasten 
towards  this  capital  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the 
French  garrison,  which  had  occupied  it  since  the 
commencement  of  the  Russian  campaign.  This 
garrison,  with  Augereau  at  its  head,  though  seri- 
ously menaced,  had  put  on  so  brave  a  front  that 
it  had  deceived  the  Allies  as  to  its  strength. 


266      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

"  The  enemy,"  Eugene  says  in  a  report  to  Napoleon, 
dated  Berlin,  February  22d,  "  has  advanced  as  far  as 
Berlin,  and  day  before  yesterday  some  eighty  Cossacks 
entered  the  city  and  threw  the  inhabitants  into  a  condi- 
tion of  terror.  The  stand  taken  by  the  Due  de  Cas- 
tiglione  [Augereau],  who  had  assembled  his  garrison 
and  placed  his  artillery  and  batteries  in  the  principal 
streets,  caused  the  enemy  to  promptly  retire.  They 
retreated  to  Charlottenburg,  and  sent  out  small  parties 
of  from  twenty-five  to  forty  horses  skirmishing  over  the 
open  country.  On  this  occasion  the  burgher's  guard 
of  Berlin  behaved  admirably,  and  in  the  most  efficient 
manner  helped  to  re-establish  order.  The  populace 
were  very  ugly.  Officers  and  single  soldiers  were  mal- 
treated by  them.  Learning  this  news  at  Fiirstenwald, 
and  knowing  that  Marshal  Augereau  had  no  cavalry  at 
his  command  to  chase  the  Cossacks  away,  I  set  out  this 
morning  with  the  cavalry  of  the  Guard,  and,  by  making 
extra  quick  time,  I  reached  here  before  four  o'clock. 
The  enemy  was  warned  of  our  arrival,  and  has  not 
shown  around  the  city  except  for  a  few  Cossacks.  .  .  . 

"  To-morrow  before  daybreak,  I  shall  send  my  cav- 
alry out  into  the  open  country,  to  chase  them  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  city. " 

From  the  Berlin  Suburb  of  Kopenick,  where 
he  had  established  his  headquarters,  Eugene  has- 
tened the  reorganisation  of  his  army  and  incorpo- 
rated the  reinforcements  received,  and  the  troops 
of  the   Berlin  garrison.     He  thus  found  himself 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      267 

at  the  head  of   more  than   twenty-six  thousand 
men.   ' 

Between  the  threats  of  insurrection  by  the  pop- 
ulace and  the  announcement  of  the  commence- 
ment of  hostilities  by  the  whole  Russian  army, 
the  Prince's  position  in  Berlin  became  daily  more 
and  more  critical.  Thousands  of  Cossacks 
scoured  the  country,  cutting  off  communication, 
intercepting  convoys  of  provisions,  and  even 
succeeding  in  destroying  several  isolated  detach- 
ments. But  notwithstanding  his  constant  efforts 
to  augment  his  defences,  Eugene,  deprived  of  his 
cavalry,  could  make  no  headway  against  the  con- 
tinual insults  heaped  upon  him  by  these  barbarous 
horsemen,  who  had  so  often  fled  before  that  grand 
French  cavalry  now  buried  under  Russia's  frozen 

fields :  —  f 

Schoneberg,  near  Berlin,  February  28,  1813. 
The  enemy  appears  to  desire  a  renewal  of  hostilities, 
as  the  first  columns  have  passed  the  Oder  to-day.  I  am 
not  speaking  of  the  parties  of  the  Cossacks,  who  have 
already  thrown  themselves  upon  us.  They  do  not 
count.  I  am  beginning  to  reinforce  my  army.  I  have 
thirty  thousand  bayonets  and  eighty  pieces  of  artillery 
under  me ;  but  unhappily  I  need  cavalry,  which  is  the 
most  essential  of  all.  Lauriston  has  just  reached  the 
Elbe  with  forty  thousand  men,  but  he  has  no  cavalry 
either.     The  King  of  Prussia  has  not  yet  declared  him- 


268       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

self  against  us,  and  I  am  anxiously  awaiting  news  from 
Breslau  [the  provisional  residence  of  the  Prussian 
Court].  You  can  judge  from  this,  my  beloved,  how 
busy  I  am,  and  how  difficult  my  position  is. 

The  fatal  Russian  campaign  had  not  only  pro- 
duced irreparable  losses  in  men  and  horses,  in 
materiel  and  prestige,  but  the  sufferings  under- 
gone and  the  disorder  of  the  retreat  had  also 
overthrown  the  strongest  wills.  A  great  many 
officers  were  far  from  fulfilling  their  duties  with 
the  devotion  and  untiring  energy  displayed  by 
Eugene. 

He,  in  fact,  exposed  the  conduct  of  a  chief  of 
battalion  named  Cicerow  to  Napoleon.  This 
officer,  given  the  charge  of  defending  a  very  im- 
portant position  commanding  the  passage  of  the 
communications  with  Dresden  and  Leipzig,  had 
allowed  himself  to  be  so  intimidated  by  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  as  to  evacuate  his  post 
without  sufficient  military  reasons.  To  make  an 
example  of  this  officer,  the  Prince  asked  Napo- 
leon to  "  punish  his  pusillanimity  by  sending 
him  to  the  guard-house  and  returning  him  to 
the   ranks." 

But  Napoleon  looked  upon  these  acts  in  a 
much  more  rigorous  manner,  as  the  following 
shows :  — 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       269 

"  My  Son,"  —  he  writes  from  Paris  to  the  Viceroy, 
March  2,  1813,  —  "I  received  your  letter  of  February 
25.  I  am  astonished  that  you  did  not  have  this  officer 
who  left  his  post,  notwithstanding  his  obvious  duty,  ar- 
rested, tried  by  a  military  commission,  and  shot  on  the 
spot.     See  that  this  is  done  immediately." 

Before  the  overwhelming  forces  which  Prince 
Repinn  was  manoeuvring  towards  the  central 
part  of  Prussia,  and  the  openly  hostile  attitude  of 
the  Berliners  in  offering  their  hand  to  the  Rus- 
sians, Eugene  found  himself  constrained  to  retreat 
from  Berlin  and  put  the  Elbe  between  him  and 
his  innumerable  adversaries.  Disdaining  personal 
success,  he  was  not  willing,  at  any  price,  to  risk 
compromising,  unless  by  the  Emperor's  orders, 
the  last  army  in  front  of  the  enemy.  But,  deeply 
affected  in  his  pride  by  this  incessant  retreat 
(happily  this  was  the  last  step),  he  could  not 
prevent  a  feeling,  not  of  discouragement,  but  of 
sadness,  overcoming  him  :  — 

Schoneberg,  March  2,  18 13. 
Again  another  retrograde  movement,  my  dear  Au- 
gusta. I  have  decided  to  retreat  to  the  Elbe,  and  I  hope 
when  I  reach  there  to  be  more  tranquil.  I  now  have 
eight  or  ten  thousand  cavalry  under  arms.  Of  my  own 
corps  I  have  but  eight  or  nine  hundred.  My  infantry 
are  also  under  arms  constantly.    All  this  maddens  me ; 


270      THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

but  there  is  no  other  way  of  doing.  To-day  is  Mardi- 
gras,  so  they  tell  me.  It  has  never  passed  so  sadly  be- 
fore for  us. 

The  Emperor,  who  from  Paris  was  anxiously 
following  the  Viceroy's  movements,  reproached 
him  with  some  bitterness  for  abandoning  Berlin. 
Great  as  he  was,  Napoleon  was  not  exempt  from 
that  weakness  shown  in  the  case  of  Massena  and 
Davout,  of  throwing  upon  the  shoulders  of  his 
lieutenants  the  responsibilities  of  badly  managed 
situations,  for  whose  miscarriage  he  himself  was 
first  responsible.  In  reply  to  his  criticisms, 
Eugene  respectfully  defended  his  manoeuvres,  im- 
posed by  the  exigencies  of  the  moment  and  the 
impossibility  of  struggling  with  nine  hundred 
horses  against  an  enemy's  cavalry  consisting  of 
nine  thousand  horses.  This  defence  he  urges  with 
all  the  marks  of  the  deepest  devotion  and  the 
greatest  self-abnegation,  emotions  so  honest  in 
their  expression  that  they  could  not  fail  to  touch 
Napoleon's  heart,  —  a  heart  weighed  down  with 
anguish  at  the  critical  position  in  which  he  stood. 

March  15,  181 3. 
Sire,  —  I  can  see  by  the  last  letters  received  from 
Your  Majesty  that  you  do  not  approve  of  any  of  the 
military  dispositions  which  I  took  for  the  march  to  the 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       27 1 

Elbe ;  and  I  also  think  you  do  not  approve  of  the  posi- 
tion which  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  take  upon  the  borders 
of  the  river.  Obliged  to  regulate  my  conduct  by  the 
events  around  me,  whilst  I  had  great  need  of  Your 
Majesty's  directions,  I  did  what  I  thought  best  for  your 
service.  I  thought  to  follow  the  lessons  of  prudence, 
and  not  to  go  far  out  of  the  right  path,  in  obeying  the 
inspirations  of  my  heart.  The  great  interests  inadvert- 
ently fallen  into  my  hands  demanded  more  talent  than 
zeal,  and  were,  perhaps,  superior  to  all  the  efforts  of  my 
devotion.  If,  therefore,  Your  Majesty  thinks,  as  your 
letters  lead  me  to  believe,  that  I  have  not  fulfilled  your 
views,  I  pray  you  not  to  leave  me  any  longer  in  a  posi- 
tion in  which  I  can  displease  you,  and  I  conjure  you  to 
replace  me  by  some  one  more  worthy  as  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  army  ;  and,  as  it  is  far  from  being  my 
desire  not  to  serve  you  actively  at  this  hour,  I  desire 
that  Your  Majesty  give  me  a  command  in  which  I  can 
still  give  proofs  of  my  zeal  and  eternal  attachment  to 
Your  Majesty. 

Napoleon's  character  was  of  too  high  an  order 
not  to  enable  him  to  recognise  his  error  in  mak- 
ing unjust  reproaches.  Does  not  his  laconic  reply 
indicate  his  regret  for  his  hasty  judgment? 

My  Son,  —  I  received  your  letter  of  March  15. 
The  observations  which  I  made  on  the  different  move- 
ments are  for  the  good  of  the  service,  and  you  were 
wrong  to  give  them  any  other  interpretation. 


272       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

In  the  mean  while  the  Russians  advanced  in 
solid  columns,  slowly,  it  is  true,  for  they  awaited 
the  moment  —  and  but  a  few  days  separated  them 
from  it  —  when  all  the  Prussian  forces,  exalted 
by  the  excitement  of  love  of  Fatherland,  would 
march  with  them. 

Eugene,  after  having  concentrated  all  his  rein- 
forcements, found  himself  at  the  head  of  fifty 
thousand  men,  confronted  by  an  enemy  four  times 
as  strong.  Such  a  disproportionate  number,  it  can 
be  easily  understood,  was  a  grave  subject  of  un- 
easiness for  him.  His  anxiety  can  be  imagined 
when  he  received  from  Milan  alarming  news  of  his 
beloved  wife's  health.  Traces  of  this  anguish  can 
be  found  in  this  letter :  — 

Wittenberg,  March  8,  1813,  Morning. 
On  reaching  here  I  was  very  much  worried  to  learn, 
by  the  couriers  of  the  24th,  that  you  had  been  taken 
ill  so  suddenly.  Since  then  I  know  by  your  letter  of 
the  25th  that  you  are  slightly  better;  but,  in  God's 
name,  take  good  care  of  your  precious  health.  I  am  in 
trouble  enough,  in  being  so  far  away  from  you,  not  to 
have  the  extra  sorrow  of  knowing  you  are  ill.  In  that 
case,  I  do  not  know  if  I  should  have  the  courage  to 
remain  here. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      273 


IV. 

Events  crowded  fast  upon  one  another.  Na- 
poleon, having  hastily  reorganised  an  army,  an- 
nounced his  return.  He  had  given  the  Prince 
orders  to  concentrate  his  forces  at  Magdeburg. 
On  March  17th,  Prussia  cast  aside  her  mask  and 
declared  war,  as  Eugene  had  foreseen  for  some 
time,  and  as  Napoleon  had  expected,  giving  this 
expectation  of  his  as  a  pretext  of  justification  for 
the  military  preparations  he  had  made  on  so  grand 
a  scale.  Soon  the  French  cannon  thundered 
anew,  no  longer  to  retard  the  advancing  enemy, 
but  to  oblige  him  to  retreat  in  his  turn. 

The  offensive  once  taken,  all  Eugene's  confi- 
dence burst  forth  anew.  His  only  thought  was 
to  prevent  the  Princess  from  worrying  too  much 

on  his  account. 

Magdeburg,  March  24,  181 3. 

I  crossed  the  Elbe   yesterday.     With   two   divisions 

of  infantry  and  one  corps  of  cavalry  we  repulsed  all  the 

enemy's    advance   posts.     To-morrow  I  hope  to  send 

them  five  or  six  leagues  farther  on.     In  this  manner  we 

shall  draw  near  Berlin,  and  give  the  enemy  a  fair  amount 

of  annoyance.     During  this  time  the  division  forming 

the  Army  of  the  Rhine  will  arrive,  and  during  the  first 

fortnight  in  April  we  shall  be  in  a  fair  way  to  begin  hos- 

vol.  1.  — 18 


274       THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

tilities.  I  hope  you  will  be  sensible  enough  not  to  worry 
yourself.  If  some  threatening  danger  easily  alarms  your 
tenderness,  you  will  find  a  consolation  in  knowing  that  I 
am  doing  my  duty,  and  that  I  am  happy  in  being  able  to 
prove  useful  to  the  Emperor,  especially  at  a  time  and 
under  circumstances  when  so  many  men  have  lost  cour- 
age. I  like  to  think  that  did  I  act  otherwise  you  could 
no  longer  love  or  esteem  me.  A  few  more  difficulties 
to  combat,  a  little  more  patience,  and,  above  all,  confi- 
dence in  my  star. 

In  the  following,  by  Darnay,  we  find  one  of 
those  beautiful  traits  of  devotion  and  personal 
valour  with  which  this  intrepid  soldier-life  is 
filled :  — 

"  The  day  after  this  skirmish,  the  Viceroy  with  a  large 
escort  was  reconnoitring  the  ground  where  he  had 
fought  the  day  before,  when  he  was  assailed  by  a  body 
of  Cossacks  who  had  been  in  ambush.  Several  chas- 
seurs of  his  escort  were  killed  by  sabre-strokes,  among 
them  the  one  who  carried  the  Viceroy's  portfolio.  In 
the  mil/e,  Colonel  Kliski,  a  Pole,  who  accompanied  the 
Prince  as  ordnance  officer,  found  himself  surrounded 
by  several  Cossacks.  The  Viceroy,  seeing  the  danger 
and  embarrassment  of  the  Colonel,  ran  to  his  succour, 
and  dispersed  his  assailants  by  a  few  pistol-shots,  putting 
them  to  flight.  The  dragoons  of  the  Viceroy's  escort 
recaptured  the  portfolio,  slashed  with  sabre-strokes. 

"  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  give  this  particular  incident 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       275 

in  detail,  as  it  reflected  so  much  honour  on  Prince 
Eugene.  The  Viceroy,  at  the  first  appearance  of  danger 
to  one  of  his  men,  forgetting  his  title  of  Commander-in- 
Chief,  listened  but  to  the  promptings  of  his  courageous 
and  generous  heart.  This  noble  trait  was  noised  about 
and  repeated  throughout  the  army,  who,  in  their  admi- 
ration for  this  noble  devotion  of  the  General  to  the  sol- 
dier, cried  out,  '  There  is  a  brave  man,  a  friend  to  the 
soldier !  '  Colonel  Kliski  every  year,  on  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  event,  addressed  a  letter  of  thanks  to  his 
Viceroy." 

On  April  5th,  Eugene  was  attacked  near  Moe- 
ckern  by  sixty  thousand  Russians  and  Prussians. 
He  held  his  own  against  them  with  his  accustomed 
bravery  and  vigour ;  but  did  not  judge  it  prudent  to 
risk  a  general  battle  with  them  at  that  time,  espe- 
cially as  the  Emperor  was  to  come  in  person  and 
direct  the  manoeuvres.  He  retreated  in  the  night 
to  Magdeburg,  and  remained  on  the  defensive. 
Work,  as  Eugene  puts  it,  did  not  diminish  for  his 
army.  The  alliance  of  the  Prussians  with  the 
Russians  brought  the  difficulties  of  his  defensive 
task  to  a  climax,  added  to  the  fatigues  of  the 
troops,  and,  above  all,  of  their  Commander-in-Chief, 
who  for  so  many  months — since  he  left  Italy,  in 
fact  —  had  not  enjoyed  one  day  of  real  rest. 

Learning  that  it  was  a  question  of  appointing 


w 


276       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

his  successor,  he  rejoiced  at  the  idea  of  once 
more  embracing  the  beings  so  unutterably  dear 
to  him,  and  from  whom  he  had  been  so  long 
separated ;  but  he  would  not  listen  to  the  idea  of 
giving  up  his  command  until  after  making  the 
enemy  feel  at  least  once  more  the  weight  of  his 
victorious  arms.  This  compensation  was  due 
him  after  the  awful  retreat  he  had  so  worthily 
conducted. 

In  telling  the  Princess  of  these  noble  senti- 
ments, he  adds  a  few  lines  which  are  a  new  proof 
of  his  keen  insight.  They  are  about  Fouche, 
whom  Napoleon,  before  setting  out  for  the  Grand 
Army,  had  nominated  a  member  of  the  Council 
of  the  Regency,  and  of  whose  future  treason  he 
seemed  to  feel  a  presentiment. 

This  view,  in  a  way  prophetic,  appears  still 
more  remarkable  when  we  know  that  Eugene 
had  also  expressed,  in  one  of  his  letters  to  the 
Princess,  a  strong  distrust  of  Marmont,  when  the 
latter  was  named  a  Marshal  of  the  Empire  after 
the  battle  of  Wagram,  —  a  mistrust  which  was 
about  to  be  fulfilled  the  next  year  by  the  defec- 
tion of  the  Commander  of  the  Sixth  Corps  at 
Essonnes.  These  presentiments  of  the  treason  of 
two  men  elevated  to  the  highest  rank  and  over- 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       277 

whelmed  with  benefits  by  Napoleon,  to  whose 
downfall  they  contributed  more  than  any  one  else, 
are  they  not  convincing  proofs  of  the  honesty  of 
his  mind  and  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  ? 

The  Prince  had  passed  through  the  fatigues  of 
this  long  and  hazardous  campaign  with  remark- 
able endurance.  It  was  time,  however,  for  him 
to  take  some  rest ;  but  with  what  coolness  and 
good-humour  he  speaks  of  the  great  fatigue  which 
obliged  him  to  keep  his  bed  all  day ! 

ASCHERLEBEN,  April  14,  1813. 

I  hasten  to  assure  you,  my  dear  Augusta,  I  have 
tired  myself  out  a  good  deal  these  last  few  days,  and 
yesterday  on  dismounting  I  found  I  could  not  stand. 
I  am  in  bed  to-day,  growling  against  my  enforced  rest, 
and  with  a  very  weak  voice  ;  but  all  this  is  not  danger- 
ous, and  I  shall  be  entirely  well  in  two  days. 

At  last  Eugene  is  on  the  eve  of  joining  the 
great  army,  marching  under  Napoleon's  orders. 
Again  war  is  about  to  commence;  but  Eugene 
only  sees  the  peace  which  will  follow,  and  his 
return  to  the  family  fireside. 

ASCHERLEBEN,  April  2$,  1813. 

The  moment  has  arrived  for  the  reunion  of  the 
armies.  Then  we  shall  be  very  strong,  and  I  shall  be 
very  happy  to  be  rid   of  my  heavy  responsibility.     I 


278      THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

hope  that  the  moment  of  our  meeting  is  nearer  than  we 
think,  for  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  peace  will  be  declared 
after  the  first  victory.  My  health  will  be  better  when  I 
am  near  you.  This  is  the  only  wish  left  on  this  earth 
for  me. 

Napoleon  had  ordered  Eugene  to  repair  to 
Leipzig  by  the  way  of  Magdeburg,  whilst  he 
advanced  towards  the  same  point  by  way  of 
Liitzen.  As  he  entered  Mersebourg,  he  heard  a 
quick  cannonade,  and  marching  unhesitatingly  to 
the  spot  from  whence  the  salute  came,  he  at  last 
joined  the  Emperor  near  Gustavus  Adolphus' 
monument.     It  was  a  happy  augury. 

In  camp  near  Lutzen,  May  2,  18 13,  5  a.  m. 
I  have  been  with  the  Emperor  since  yesterday  even- 
ing at  four  o'clock.  We  had  a  little  affray  yesterday 
which  would  have  been  of  no  consequence  to  us,  had 
not  a  bullet  settled  poor  Marshal  Bessieres.  I  did  not 
have  one  man  wounded  among  my  troops,  and  we 
captured  a  few  prisoners.  A  remarkable  thing  hap- 
pened. My  reunion  with  the  Grand  Army  was  made 
precisely  in  front  of  the  Gustavus  Adolphus  monument, 
on  the  anniversary  of  one  of  his  battles.  Adieu,  my 
good  Augusta.  The  Emperor  received  me  with  a  great 
deal  of  kindness. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      279 


V. 

Eugene  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  battle  of 
Lutzen,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  victory,  as 
much  by  his  bravery  as  by  his  military  genius. 
The  day  before,  during  his  march  towards  Leipzig, 
he  had  manoeuvred  his  columns  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  be  able,  according  to  circumstances,  to  direct 
them  towards  that  city,  or  to  bring  them  to 
Lutzen,  —  tactics  in  which  the  pupil  showed  him- 
self worthy  of  the  master,  and  the  lessons  he 
had  received  in  Napoleon's  school. 

On  May  2d,  the  Viceroy  had  reached  Leipzig 
when  he  received  the  order  to  return  to  Lutzen. 
He  retraced  his  steps  rapidly,  and  by  suddenly 
attacking  the  right  flank  of  the  enemy,  menaced 
their  only  retreating  bridges,  and  contributed  in 
a  large  measure  to  their  overthrow.  Then  he 
recaptured  from  the  Allies  several  villages  which 
they  had  succeeded  in  taking  by  concentrating  all 
their  forces,  and  the  possession  of  which  deter- 
mined the  fate  of  the  day.  Throwing  himself 
upon  the  Prussians'  right  wing  with  as  much 
good  luck  as  rapidity  and  skill,  he  placed  the 
enemy  in  so  perilous  a  situation   that  notwith- 


280       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

standing  old  BlUcher's  impetuous  passion  and  his 
desperate  charges,  the  Allies  were  obliged  to 
retreat. 

As  usual,  it  is  with  a  charming  modesty  that  he 
speaks  or,  better  still,  evades  speaking  of  the  part 
rightfully  belonging  to  him  in  this  victory,  — 
the  forerunner  of  the  campaign  of   1813. 

Bivouac  near  Forgan,  May  3,  1813,  Evening. 

Yesterday  we  fought  a  splendid  battle,  my  dear 
Augusta ;  and,  just  as  I  said,  it  was  all  in  our  favour. 
The  Russian  and  Prussian  armies  attacked  us  on  our  right 
whilst  I  was  marching  on  Leipzig.  We  turned  on  them 
at  once,  and,  notwithstanding  their  superiority  in  cav- 
alry, we  defeated  them.  The  Emperor  Alexander  and 
the  King  of  Prussia  were  present.  A  number  were 
killed  and  wounded. 

This  battle  of  Liitzen,  which  followed  soon 
after  that  of  Bautzen,  might  have  given  to  Napo- 
leon an  advantageous  peace,  with  the  same  fair 
conditions  as  that  of  Prague,  assuring  to  France 
the  frontiers  of  the  Alps  and  the  Rhine.  It 
marked  an  important  date  in  Eugene's  life.  It 
was,  in  fact,  the  last  grand  battle  in  which  he 
took  part  under  Napoleon's  eyes,  under  whom  he 
had  never  ceased  to  fight  since  his  sixteenth  year. 
But  the  Emperor  needed  him  in  Italy,  where, 
before  the  end  of  this  long  campaign,  the  Prince 
was  to  render  conspicuous  services. 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.      28 1 

Before  his  departure  he  had  the  fortune  to  dis- 
tinguish himself  by  pursuing  the  enemy,  and  inflict- 
ing considerable  loss  among  their  soldiers,  during 
the  following  days.  On  May  5th,  he  had  a  lively 
engagement  with  the  Russians,  whom  he  defeated 
at  Waldheim,  after  killing  two  thousand  of  their 
men.  The  next  day,  as  they  were  again  trying 
to  hold  their  own  before  him,  he  treated  them 
more  rudely  still.  Eugene  gives  but  a  few  words 
to  the  description  of  these  different  combats. 

Before  Waldheim,  May  6,  1813,  10  a.  m. 

My  dear  Augusta,  —  I  am  sitting  in  a  little  cabin 
on  my  way  to  Dresden.  Yesterday  I  had  three  differ- 
ent fights, —  with  the  Eleventh  Corps,  with  three  Prus- 
sian divisions  who  tried  to  prevent  me  from  crossing  the 
Mulda  at  Kolz,  and,  in  the  evening,  with  two  divisions 
of  Russian  grenadiers  who  were  defending  a  superb 
position.  This  was  taken  from  them  by  our  troops 
with  much  daring.  I  think  the  Emperor  will  be  satis- 
fied, for  the  enemy's  rout  was  complete. 

Adieu,  my  dear  friend ;  I  am  very  well,  and,  at  the 
rate  the  Emperor  is  taking  us,  I  hope  to  see  you  soon. 

Always  defeating  the  Russians,  nearly  always 
on  horseback  at  the  head  of  his  troops,  and  the 
foremost  in  danger,  the  Viceroy  found  no  time 
during  several  days  to  correspond  with  the  one 
who  awaited  news  of  him  with  so  much  anxiety. 


282       THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE. 

In  ten  days  he  was  engaged  in  no  fewer  than 
five  battles,  from  which  he  came  out  with  as 
much  honour  as  success.  At  last,  on  May  8, 
near  midday,  he  reached  Dresden.  At  daybreak 
the  next  day  he  left  the  city  with  the  artillery 
of  the  Guard  to  reconstruct  a  pontoon  bridge 
to  which  the  Prussians  had  set  fire ;  and  he 
aided  brilliantly  in  the  manoeuvres  which  forced 
the  Allies  finally  to  abandon  the  capital  of  Saxony, 
into  which  Napoleon  desired  to  make  a  trium- 
phant entry.  This  was  a  happy  but  fleeting 
success,  which  cast  a  transient  splendour  over 
the  last  days  of  this  campaign. 

Dresden,  May  10,  1813. 
We  reached  here  the  day  before  yesterday,  my  dear 
Augusta.  I  was  at  the  head  of  the  first  troops.  I 
made  a  tour  of  the  city  to  post  the  sentries  and  maintain 
order.  Afterwards  I  pursued  the  enemy,  and  forced 
him  to  burn  the  bridges  which  he  had  built  near  the 
city.  I  did  not  take  formal  possession  of  it  until  in  the 
afternoon.  I  made  my  entry  with  the  Emperor.  I 
had  only  written  you  a  few  days  since  the  battle  of  the 
2d,  as  I  have  been  almost  constantly  on  horseback. 
I  had  five  victorious  battles  with  the  enemy,  and  each 
time  we  maintained  our  position.  Yesterday  we  worked 
at  rebuilding  a  bridge  under  a  lively  fusillade ;  but  we 
finished  it  this  morning,  notwithstanding  our  enemy's 
cannons. 


THE  ROMANCE   OF  PRINCE  EUGENE.       283 

At  last  Eugene  received  the  order  to  return  to 
Italy  !  What  joy  filled  his  heart  when  Napoleon 
announced  these  good  tidings  to  him,  —  tidings 
so  long  and  anxiously  looked  for.  Fate  rewarded 
the  longings  of  the  soldier  and  the  husband. 
He  had  not  wished  to  leave  the  army  without 
one  victory  which  should  revenge  at  one  and  the 
same  time  all  the  bitterness  of  the  disastrous 
defeat.  Heaven  had  granted  him  Leipzig.  He 
could  leave  contentedly,  and  proud  also  of  the 
great  services  which  for  more  than  a  year  he  had 
rendered  the  Emperor  and  France.  Those  last 
£ve  months  of  retreat,  above  all,  merited  the 
recognition  of  his  country.  Having  received  from 
Murat's  hands  but  a  few  thousand  men,  weakened, 
disbanded,  and  completely  demoralised,  he  had 
succeeded,  harassed  by  forces  of  crushing  superi- 
ority, and  across  a  hostile  country,  in  conducting 
tone  of  the  finest  retreats  in  the  annals  of  military 
history,  and  which  necessitated  on  his  part  an 
energy  and  a  prudence  almost  superhuman. 
Better  still,  reorganising  as  he  retreated,  he 
performed  the  miracle  of  transforming  a  handful 
of  disbanded  soldiers,  abandoned  to  him  by  the 
King  of  Naples,  into  a  well-organised  corps  of 
eighty  thousand  men,  whom  he  turned  over  to 


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